Beneath Hazel Eyes
by Locked Myself Up in a Room
Summary: Sasori has an easy, simple life at his art shop. Everything changes however, when he hires a new apprentice, Deidara. Deidara comes from a far, strange land. Sasori soon learns that Deidara's real purpose in moving may not be to find a simple life at the art shop. There's someone, that Deidara is after. Sasodei Deisao pairing. M for language/lemon. Reviews welcome!
1. Chapter 1: Little Art Shop

As the last few stragglers exited the art shop, Sasori heaved a sigh of relief. It had been another long day. He quickly turned the lock on the door and turned the 'open' sign around so it read 'closed.' He could see the sun beginning to set in the distance, he pulled down the shades on the window, blocking it out. He then began to pick up the dirtied paintbrushes and took them to the sink to clean them off.

His smock was covered with paint, charcoal, and clay. His red matted hair stuck to his face, despite his attempts to brush it aside from his eyes. Ever since his apprentice had left a month ago, he had been swamped with work. His little art store had become quite busy recently, there were more people interested in taking his art classes or coming in to buy various art supplies. Being the only person to man the shop had taken its toll. He would have to put up that 'help wanted' sign tomorrow.

Sasori didn't like the idea of hiring a new apprentice, but he knew he needed the help. He preferred to do things alone. He enjoyed solitude, it was an easy lifestyle for him. Being alone meant he could avoid the hassle of dealing with annoying people.

Once he finished rinsing out the paintbrushes, he stacked up the paint bottles on the shelves, placing each color where it belonged. Everything had a specific spot in his art store, he liked to keep things neat and perfect. His last apprentice had understood that, and had strived to keep things the way Sasori liked.

Sasori stepped back and admired the array of paint colors. His favorites were the plethora of reds. Burgundy, scarlet, bright maroon, crimson, cherry, rose, mahogany, and candy apple red all took up one shelf in a beautiful assortment. On the shelving next to the paints, there was a display of blank canvases of all sizes and shapes. Underneath the canvases the paintbrushes were laid out according to their size. The wall next to this one was adorned with unopened clay. He kept the pottery wheels in the back closet, as he rarely ever used them. The clay was sometimes bought by curious customers, but he didn't instruct a pottery class. He didn't think there was much interest in pottery.

Sasori's favorite art form was puppetry. The puppetry tools were displayed in the front of the shop. His prized possessions of wood, chisels, hammers, and thread were laid out carefully among the shelves. He had posed some of his own puppets in the window of the shop, so onlookers could admire his work. Children and adults of all ages were often seen looking at the little puppet figures, with eyes as wide as dinner plates. They would gaze at the puppets, wondering how someone could make them look so real, so human-like.

Sasori inhaled deeply, taking in the intoxicating scent of the oil paints mixed with the ashy smell of charcoal dust. He had finally finished cleaning up the shop. His feet shuffled beneath him as he made for the back door of the shop. He closed the door and locked it behind him before making his way up the creaky wooden stairs.

His small loft was situated on top of the art shop. Perhaps living on top of one's workspace was a little archaic in the modern world, but Sasori did not mind. Besides, he had a great deal on rent for his place, due to the fact that the landlady was his grandmother.

He jiggled his rusty key in the keyhole and pushed open the rustic door. "Meow" his fat calico cat Moshi greeted him. She rubbed up against his legs, and he leaned down to scratch behind her ears.

While he pet his furry friend, he pulled out his cell phone from his back pocket to check for any messages. There were none. He figured as much. Sasori didn't have too many friends.

He was too exhausted from work to make food, so he pulled out a box of leftover curry in his fridge and heated it up in the microwave. He sat on his small plushy couch and munched on his food in silence, enjoying the absence of sound. His art shop had gotten noisy earlier today, with a raucous crowd of teens bustling in and gawking at all the art supplies. They had asked a lot of questions, which had irked Sasori. He didn't have the patience to explain everything to the starry eyed spoiled teenagers.

He flipped through channels on his television, trying to find anything worth watching. As usual, there was nothing that caught his interest. He grunted in annoyance.

Nothing exciting ever happened in his hometown. Each day was just as mundane as the last, with few surprises or changes. Usually, this was just fine for Sasori. He preferred things to be ordinary and easy. But lately, he had become bored of the same old routine.

He turned off the television and ate the rest of his food in silence. Once finished, he made his way towards his tiny bathroom to brush his teeth before bed. He then plopped himself on the bottom bunk of his bed. His grandmother had insisted on getting a bunk bed for this place, so that two tenants could live here. When Sasori had moved in, he refused to get a roommate. She had argued with him that he wouldn't like living alone, but he simply glared at her until he had gotten his way. He and his grandmother rarely got along. He paid rent to her once each month, and that was the extent of their visits and conversations. He always kept these exchanges brief, not wishing to stay whenever she offered for him to come in and have tea.

Moshi purred as he ran his hand along her soft fur, scratching her favorite spots. "I'll have to get a new apprentice soon," he told the cat, "maybe it won't be so bad. Maybe it's just what I need…a change could be nice." Moshi purred louder, rolling on her back so he could rub her belly. Sasori had made up his mind, he would put up that 'help wanted' sign first thing in the morning.


	2. Chapter 2: Help

After putting up the 'help wanted' sign, he got to work on setting up the materials needed for his morning class. There were only seven people signed up for the drawing class, to Sasori's delight. A small class meant less noise and chatter, and more time for him to help each student out individually. He liked helping his students to become better artists, and with a big class, that always became a difficult task.

He placed a small canvas in front of seven of the stools and then put an array of pencils on the table. He turned the 'closed' sign to 'open' and unlocked the door, surprised to see the first few customers waiting. He recognized a few of them, they were the usual early birds who liked to come for his morning classes.

He greeted them with his best smile and welcomed in his class. His students listened intently and watched closely as he demonstrated the steps for drawing a person. He had placed one of his puppets on a stool to use as a reference. He walked around and watched his students as they concentrated on their papers, pencils carefully marking out each curve and line. He gave each student individual help, showing them new techniques or suggesting how to shade their drawing.

An hour and a half later, the class ended and each student thanked him and tipped him before heading out the door with their artwork tucked precariously under their arms. Sasori smiled softly to himself, it had been a perfect, easy class to handle. Everything ran smoothly and he had been able to cater to each student's needs and question. Maybe if he kept a limit to the number of people allowed per class, he could handle his work better. Then, he wouldn't need an apprentice after all.

Pondering this thought, he was just about to grab the sign from the window, rethinking the need for a co-worker. However, his thought process was hindered when he heard the ring of the bell, indicating that someone had just stepped into his shop. He looked up and smiled at his customer, ready to be of assistance.

Sasori held back a gasp of surprise as he stared at the strange looking customer before him. The customer was tall and skinny, with a smug smile upon his face. Half of his long blonde hair was pulled up in a ponytail, the rest cascaded around his shoulders, with long bangs covering his left eye. His eyes were a lovely shade of sapphire blue, and he had dark black eyeliner on the crease of his slanted eyes, causing his blue irises to stand out magnificently. He was wearing navy blue pants and black sandals. His v-neck shirt was sleeveless, and he wore a mesh shirt underneath. On his belt, there were two bags resting on either hip. Black nail polish gleamed from his fingernails and toenails. On his right index finger, he wore a teal ring. Both palms were covered in a white bandage, Sasori wondered what had happened to his hands. Upon his forehead, under the thick blonde bangs, was a weird looking headband. There was a metallic rectangle in the front of the headband, with a symbol engraved upon it. Sasori had never seen anything like it.

The thing that struck Sasori silent though, was the man's attractiveness. This man's face was truly handsome, with soft pink lips and those daring, bold blue eyes. Sasori could see part of this man's chest beneath the v-neck and mesh shirt. His chest was toned, that much was apparent. Sasori longed to see what was beneath those layers.

"Hello," the man crooned in a heavily seductive tone. He walked over towards the counter and leaned against it. He then eyed Sasori up and down, smirking.

"H-how can I help you?" Sasori stammered.

The man tapped his finger on the counter top, and swept his blue eyes around the small art shop. "I've come here to help you," he replied boldly.

Sasori swallowed, and felt his temple bulging. Although this man was attractive, his overly confident tone did not sit well with Sasori. Who did he think he was, coming in to his shop and leaning over the counter like he owned the place?

Sasori glared at him and said, "would you mind?" indicating the man's body which was halfway across the countertop, leaning over in a provocative manner.

The man stood up from his bent over position slowly. He still looked confident and cool. Sasori noted that he was also quite young, probably not even 20 years old. Who was this young man with such aggressive and irritating self-confidence?

The man placed a hand on his hip and continued, "My name is Deidara. I saw the 'help wanted' sign, so I've come to help."

"You want to be my apprentice?" Sasori asked him, raising an eyebrow. He seriously doubted this man's work ethic. From his haughty appearance, Sasori wondered if Deidara had ever worked a hard job like this before.

"Well, apprentice isn't really the word I would use. I was thinking more along the lines of co-owner," Deidara said. He was resting his hand against the countertop again, and his leg was leaning ever so slightly against the frame.

Sasori couldn't believe his ears, "what?! Are you joking? You can't just walk in here and become a co-owner! I've been the owner of this art shop for several years."

"Oh, is that so?" Deidara said indifferently, "then maybe just a teacher. Yeah, you do have art classes here right?"

Sasori was fed up with Deidara's carefree and arrogant tone. "I am perfectly capable of teaching all my classes. What I need is someone to help with cleaning around the store and putting art supplies away and maybe helping out a few of the students when I have a big class. I don't need another art teacher."

"Hmm," Deidara said. He was reading the schedule for art classes on the wall behind the counter. "Doesn't look like you have any pottery classes, although I see some clay in the back. Why is that?"

"There hasn't been an interest in a pottery class," Sasori replied briskly.

"I find that hard to believe," Deidara said. "I'll tell you what old man, if I can prove to you my worth as an artist, will you let me teach a pottery class? I'm just asking for one class." He had his upper body leaned across the countertop again. He had his head rested in his hands, and he was now giving a genuine smile to Sasori. His face was a few inches away from Sasori's, allowing Sasori to see those azure eyes up close.

Sasori quickly turned his attention to a spot on the countertop, looking into those eyes made his chest flutter. "Old man? I'll have you know that I am 26 years old. Far from old."

"Cool," Deidara said, "and I'm 19. Anyways, will you please let me show you my art? I am _excellent_ with my hands." As he said this, he reached out a hand and grabbed Sasori's wrist.

The touch sent pleasant tingles through Sasori's body, but he chose to ignore this. He pulled his wrist out of Deidara's grasp and grumbled, "fine. Show me what you can do and then I'll consider it."

"Thank you!" Deidara cried, "Um, I don't know you're name."

"It's Sasori."

"Oh, Sasori. Very nice, hm." Deidara said before walking towards the back of the shop to inspect the clay. "Where are the pottery wheels, hm?"

Sasori didn't respond. He simply went to the back of the shop and pulled out a pottery wheel from the back closet. Deidara looked upon the wheel with awe. He had picked out some clay, and looked eager to show off his art. He quickly molded the clay onto the wheel and began spinning it with his foot.

"Why do you have bandages around your palms?" Sasori asked him.

"Oh, I work with my hands so much, sometimes I get calluses," Deidara stated simply. He was busy at work, molding the wet clay as it spun at full speed. Sasori had to admit that he himself had a difficult time on the wheel when it spun that fast. Deidara was working his hands up and down the phallic figure so quick, it made Sasori think of other, dirtier things. He had to focus hard to keep those dirty thoughts out of his mind as Deidara stroked his soft hand up and down the clay.

When the wheel stopped spinning, Sasori was a little confused by the shape of the clay. But Deidara continued creating his artwork, adding more clay to it. Soon, the clay figure began to take the shape of an owl. Sasori was stunned by the detail of the little brown clay owl. Deidara worked so fast, yet there were no signs of a mistake. The owl was perfectly symmetrical, a feat that Sasori had difficulty with whenever he used the wheel.

Deidara stepped back and announced that he was finished. Sasori could see that Deidara was very proud of his work. But Sasori had to admit that he was rightfully proud, the clay owl was truly a work of beauty.

"So Sasori, what do you think?"

"Honestly, it's amazing," Sasori admitted.

"Yes!" Deidara said, punching the air. He reached his hands forward to grab onto Sasori's, but Sasori pulled away.

"You have wet clay all over yourself, watch it," he warned.

"Oh, whoops," Deidara said playfully, "I just got so excited that I'm going to be working here. I wanted to hold your hand and do a victory dance."

Sasori felt a twinge of annoyance again. Did Deidara really think Sasori would dance around the store with him like some crazy lunatic? "I still haven't decided if I want to hire you as my apprentice."

Deidara rolled his eyes, which only added to Sasori's anger. "Oh c'mon! Who else do you know that can work that well with their hands hm?" Deidara groaned. Then, a devilish smirk ran across his lips, "My hands are skilled at more than one thing, you know." He had stepped in close to Sasori. Very close.

Sasori felt his cheeks heat up, and he quickly stepped away from Deidara, "if I hire you as a teacher, you'll just have the one class. The rest of the classes are mine. And if there's no interest in pottery, then you'll just have to deal with it. I'll hire you as an apprentice and teacher, I still need your help around the shop doing various tasks. There's no way you're a co-owner though, so get that thought out of your head."

Deidara flashed a genuine smile again, "okay then Danna, if that's how it is that's fine with me!" He skipped off excitedly towards the sink to wash the clay off his hands.

"Danna?" Sasori was confused.

Deidara dried his hands and then ambled over to Sasori, once again getting close to him. Deidara placed his hands inside the front pocket of Sasori's apron. "Danna is a term of respect from where I come from," he explained, "it means master. Since you're the owner of this place, I'm working under you. So therefore," he hitched his breath, pausing seductively and placing his face closer to Sasori's, so that his lips were merely an inch away from Sasori's cheek, "you're my master."

Sasori blinked several times before snapping himself out of it. He grabbed Deidara's wrists and pulled his hands out of his apron pocket. "Don't do that," Sasori said in as mean of a tone as he could muster. He tried to ignore the loud pounding of his pulse in his ears. His blood was pumping fast.

Deidara smiled playfully at him, "If you say so Danna." Then he turned and walked towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Sasori asked him, bewildered.

"Oh, I guess I should explain. I just moved into town today, so I'll need to get myself situated before working here, hm. If that's alright, Danna?" Deidara pleaded the question, making it difficult for Sasori to tell him 'no.'

"Fine, go take care of your business. I'll expect you at work tomorrow morning. I open the store at 8am." Sasori said.

Deidara smiled again and said, "can't wait till then." He winked before heading out the door, leaving Sasori stunned on the spot.

….

The rest of the day went by fast, Sasori's afternoon classes were filled with inquisitive students again, and Sasori found himself exhausted once more as he closed the shop. He trudged as he walked outside, breathing in the fresh air. He didn't feel like cooking again, so he decided to get some food to go.

He bought some sushi from the small restaurant across the street. While waiting for his food, he noticed a man seated in the corner of the restaurant, reading the daily newspaper. A picture of large black flames was on the cover. Curious, Sasori went up to the man.

"Do you mind if I take a look at the paper?" he asked.

The man handed him the newspaper, "sure kid. I've read it all anyways, keep it." Sasori thanked him, tucking the newspaper under his arm and collecting his sushi before heading out of the restaurant.

Sasori felt happy, it always felt good to walk up the stairs to his place with delicious food and something to read. The picture of the fire on the front of the paper had caught his attention, he wondered if this fire was connected to all the others. He turned his key in the lock, eager to get in and sit on his couch to relax from his busy day.

The first thing he noticed when he opened the door was that Moshi was nowhere to be seen. This was strange, as his cat always came to greet him. He walked in cautiously, afraid that someone might have broken in. He placed his sushi and newspaper on the coffee table in front of his small loveseat couch. Then he tiptoed around the small place, looking for his cat.

He opened the door to his bedroom last, and screamed in shock. Sitting smugly and comfortably on his bed, with Moshi curled up in his lap, was Deidara.


	3. Chapter 3: Black Fire

"What the hell!?" Sasori shouted, "what are you doing in my place Deidara?!"

"Oh Sasori!" Deidara cried cheerfully, as though this was not a problem, "I'm going to be your roommate! Isn't it wonderful!"

"What- says who? How did you get in here?" Sasori was fuming. His loft was his sacred place, his place for solitude.

Deidara jingled his keys in one hand, petting Moshi with the other. "You're cat is cute, what's her name?"

"Don't change the subject," Sasori protested, "did you get that from the landlady?"

"Of course, who the hell else would I get these keys from?" Deidara said with a chuckle, "I told you I needed to find a place. I saw the leasing office a few blocks down, and found a nice old lady there. I told her I was working at the art shop, and she suggested that I live above it with you. Once I heard what you pay for rent, I couldn't resist. Besides," he paused in that seductive, breathy tone again, "now you and I can spend every moment together."

Sasori wanted to punch something in his rage. He balled up his fists, feeling his body shake with anger. "How could she do this to me!?" he cried under his breath. He was really upset with his grandmother now. She knew he didn't want roommates.

"Well, in her defense, I spun a little white lie to her. I told her you and I were great friends, and that you would love to have me as a roommate. She was so happy that she almost cried, I sort of felt bad about that but it was too late."

"Why the hell did you do that?" Sasori yelled.

"I knew you wouldn't want me to live with you if I asked you," Deidara admitted. He got up from the bed, Moshi scattered away out of the room. Deidara swiftly made his way to Sasori, he stepped behind him and placed his hands on Sasori's shoulders. "Just relax Danna. Let me help you," he purred into Sasori's ear. His fingers were working out the knots on Sasori's shoulders. "You're so tense, that's not good," Deidara said, pushing his hands in deeper into Sasori's back. Sasori was still incised but Deidara's touch had him paralyzed. He felt his heartbeat quicken again, and pleasant prickles ran down his spine as Deidara's smooth hands worked out the kinks in his back.

Sasori finally stepped forward, pulling away from Deidara's hands. "Enough," he said, turning his face to hide his blush.

"Hm, I could still feel tension in your back. You sure you don't want me to give you a full back massage?" Deidara asked him. Sasori was still staring away from him, he felt his face grow hot from the thought of Deidara giving him a massage. "Or," Deidara said in his playful tone, "I could find another way to _release_ your tension."

Sasori whipped his head around and gave him an icy stare, "stop that," he warned, "I'm your master, remember? You can't come in here and suggest such things."

Deidara smirked, "alright Danna," he said. "By the way, do you prefer the top or bottom?"

Sasori felt a jolt at his question, "What did I just say?" he asked angrily, "Stop with these perverted questions!"

Deidara grinned impishly and pointed a finger towards the bunk bed, "Jeez Danna. Get your mind out of the gutter, hm."

Sasori blushed furiously red, "I sleep on the bottom bunk," he said.

"Oh," Deidara said, "that's where I was sitting, my mistake. I'll take the top one then." He winked at Sasori and then turned to leave the room, "I'm getting hungry, what do you have to eat here?" he asked as he walked out of the bedroom, headed towards the tiny kitchen.

Sasori's pulse throbbed again, Deidara was so impudent. Sasori wondered how he could survive living with this sassy, overly confident, sexy being. It was going to take a toll on what little patience he had, that much Sasori was sure of.

"The food in there is mine," Sasori said as he hurried out of the room to follow Deidara. Deidara had spotted the sushi box on the coffee table.

"Oh yum!" he exclaimed, picking it up.

Sasori quickly snatched it from his hands, "that's _my_ sushi. I have some bread and lunch meat in the kitchen, if you're hungry you can make a sandwich." Sasori then sat down on the loveseat sofa, opening the box of sushi and taking one out, waving it around tantalizingly. Deidara had a sour look on his face. Sasori smirked and popped the sushi into his mouth, moaning loudly. If Deidara was really going to live with him, then Sasori was going to have some fun teasing him too. Deidara had started it after all.

"Fine," Deidara said, brushing the matter aside. He walked into the kitchen and began to prepare food for himself. He arrived back a moment later, with a turkey and cheese sandwich.

He took a seat right next to Sasori on the couch, munching on his sandwich, but eyeing Sasori's sushi with envy. The couch was small, so naturally, Deidara's arm was pressed up against Sasori's. Sasori stared at him. "I have other chairs you know," he said coolly.

"I like this one," Deidara said. He was either oblivious to Sasori's discomfort in having him sit so close, or he was enjoying watching Sasori squirm in his seat. Sasori believed it was the latter.

"Oh, what's this?" Deidara asked curiously, looking at the newspaper on the coffee table. He picked it up and read the headline, "unstoppable forest fire strikes again."

"Yeah," Sasori said, "there's been a problem with arson in our town lately. These black flames will appear somewhere, and no matter what the firemen do to try and put it out, the fire won't stop until it burns everything away. It's been about a month since the last fire, everyone thought they had stopped."

"Interesting," Deidara said. His pale blue eyes were narrowed as he read the newspaper article.

"I was going to read that," Sasori huffed. First Deidara tried to steal his sushi, now this.

"They don't know who did it. Typical," Deidara said, tossing the paper aside, "they speculate that the black flames are some sort of chemical mixture, but they're totally stumped."

"Did they say if there were any casualties in the fire?" Sasori wanted to know. The last fire had taken three innocent lives.

"No, just a small section of forest. He probably killed off some animals though, hm." Deidara said before taking another bite of his sandwich.

"He?" Sasori eyed Deidara, "how do you know the arsonist is a man? And how do you know it's just one person?"

Deidara shrugged, then placed a foot up on the coffee table, "I don't know. Just a guess."

Sasori glared at Deidara's foot, he gently picked up his leg and placed it back on the floor, "no feet on the table."

"Hm, we live here together, I don't think you should be making up these rules," Deidara said with a smirk. He placed both feet up on the table this time.

"I've been living here for three years! So yes, I can make rules! I like it to stay clean in here, so please take your dirty feet off the table!" Sasori was gnashing his teeth with irritation.

Deidara put his feet back on the floor, "alright, alright Danna," he said. He finished up his sandwich, chewing slowly. "so," he said, "what exactly will be my responsibilities as your apprentice?"

"You'll help me open and close the shop, which means making sure every tool and art supply is in its rightful place. You'll be doing a lot of cleaning too. During my big classes, you can go around and assist the students if they need help with any of the steps. My puppet making class is getting bigger each day, I'll definitely need help with that one." Sasori explained. Deidara twirled a piece of his blonde hair in his finger, watching Sasori as he spoke.

"That's it?" Deidara asked.

"More or less, yes," Sasori said. "and I guess you'll have your own pottery class. We can make a sign up list for that tomorrow, and we'll see if anyone is interested."

Deidara leaned up against Sasori, still twirling his blonde hair mindlessly. "That sounds great Danna," he said. He pressed his nose against Sasori's cheek, and whispered, "are those really _all_ of my duties as your subordinate?" The way he emphasized the word 'all' implied that there was something naughty that Sasori was leaving out. Deidara then wrapped his arm around Sasori, rubbing softly from his shoulder and down to his hand. Deidara traced his fingers in Sasori's open palm, sending sparks through Sasori's body. Alarms were going off inside Sasori's head. He had to stand up quickly to calm his heightened nerves. Deidara toppled over onto the rest of the couch, surprised that Sasori had gotten up so hastily.

"Wh-what do you think you're doing?" Sasori asked. His face was scarlet, and his breathing had quickened. Deidara made him feel both angry and lustful at the same time. It was a confusing combination of emotions.

"Oh, I was just teasing," Deidara said with a wink. He got off the couch and placed his hand gently on Sasori's cheek, running his fingers smoothly across his face, using his pointer finger to pull up Sasori's chin. Sasori hated that Deidara was taller than him. "Don't take everything so seriously," he said before releasing his finger from Sasori's chin. Then he walked off, shaking his hips from side to side in an unnecessary manner. Sasori noted how curved and large his ass was, as it shook delicately from one side to the other. Deidara turned his head back to look at Sasori, who was rooted on the spot, staring blankly at the perfectly round butt in front of him. "Hm, I see you checking me out," Deidara said in a low voice. He batted his eyelashes at him and grinned.

Sasori quickly turned away from Deidara, too embarrassed to say anything. He picked up the box of sushi and crammed the last one into his mouth. He bit down hard on the food, angered by Deidara's playful teasing.

Sasori could hear Deidara rummaging around in their room. Sasori sighed and sat back down on the couch, grateful for a moment alone.

It wasn't that Sasori didn't enjoy teasing and being naughty with others, he had had his fair share of dirty, sexy nights in bed with other men from his past. But, he always got to know the man beforehand, was careful about who he dated. Sasori hadn't dated anyone in a while, over a year now. He had barely even crushed on anyone since his last boyfriend broke up with him. Sasori figured he was better off alone anyways.

To have this sexy, young male walk into his life and entice him with his sexual gestures and insinuations was too much for Sasori to handle. It was like being handed a golden platter with a stack of a million dollars. That kind of allurement would drive anyone a little bananas. And not to mention, Deidara had an extremely cocky, carefree and forward personality. His persona constantly threw Sasori off his guard, and made him irritated. Sasori had always been a quiet, reserved and careful man. Deidara was the complete opposite.

Sasori couldn't figure him out yet, he wasn't sure what Deidara's true purpose was in gaining a job at the art shop as well as living with him. Why was he overly sexual? Was he like that all the time, with everyone? Or was he being flirty with Sasori in order to gain something? If so, what did he want?

Sasori sat in peace and silence for a few moments longer. Once he felt calm, he got up and walked to his room, ready to get to bed. He was drained from the long day.

He walked in and was greeted by a sight that made his heart stop momentarily. Deidara was half naked, sitting on the top bunk bed in just his blue boxers. As Sasori had expected, Deidara's chest was tightly toned with muscles. His arms were skinny, but well-built. His boxers lay gently below his navel, just barely above his crotch, not leaving much room for the imagination. Sasori could see a slight bulge in those thin blue boxers. Deidara must have a pretty big package down there.

Deidara smirked as Sasori eyed him, "I usually sleep naked," he said in a smooth, unabashed voice, "but I figured you might have a problem with that." His hands were fumbling with the half ponytail in his hair. He took out the hair tie, letting all his blonde hair come loose and cascade beautifully around his handsome face. Sasori gulped.

"So Danna," Deidara said, snapping Sasori out of his daydream. Sasori was thinking about what he would like to do to Deidara's bare chest. He jerked his eyes back up towards Deidara's, "what do you want to do?"

"Huh?" Sasori was confused, "what do you mean?"

"It's only 9:30," Deidara said, cocking his head to the side, "I'm not tired yet."

"Well I am," Sasori said, "so I'm going to bed."

"Oh c'mon!" Deidara complained, "I don't want to stay up by myself."

"That sounds like a personal problem. Find something quiet to do," Sasori snapped back. He grabbed an oversized shirt that he liked to wear to bed. He turned around so that Deidara couldn't see him changing. He quickly pulled up his shirt over his head and put on the oversized shirt. He took off his pants, leaving his black boxers on. Then he clambered into his bottom bunk bed, snuggling up under the covers.

Deidara leaned over his top bunk to look at Sasori in bed. His face was upside down to Sasori, his hair fell towards the ground like a thick yellow waterfall. Sasori declined his impulse to reach out a hand and touch his blonde hair. "What?" Sasori asked him.

"Can you tell me a story or something?" Deidara asked.

"Are you a child?" Sasori retorted.

Deidara smirked and then laughed, "You're pretty funny, aren't you?" he said sarcastically, "Not a story necessarily…just tell me something about you. Or you can tell me about your old apprentice. I want to make sure I don't make the same mistake he did."

"My old apprentice left, I didn't fire him." Sasori admitted. Then, he realized something, "I never told you that I ever had another apprentice. How would you know that?"

"It's obvious, hm. The way you spoke about my duties, it's like you had already told someone that stuff before." Deidara stated. Sasori couldn't help but notice that this comment was clearly a lie, but he didn't pry further.

"My old apprentice was a few years older than you, but younger than me. He was quiet, and dutiful. He respected my commands, and didn't ask many questions," Sasori said.

"Hm, he sounds boring," Deidara said. "what was his name?"

"Sasuke," Sasori said.

"Didn't he have a last name?" Deidara wondered, "Sasuke is a common name, right?"

Sasori grumbled. He really was very tired. "I don't know if it's a common name or not. Why do you want to know so much about him anyways? He never told me his last name. Trust me, you're nothing like him, so these questions are pointless."

Deidara grinned, "thanks," he said, "I'm glad to hear that I'm different from this boring guy." He then lifted himself back up to the top bunk. Sasori could hear the creaking of his bed as he finally slipped under his covers. "Goodnight Danna, I guess I'll try to fall asleep early."

Sasori didn't answer him, he simply closed his eyes, hoping that his dreams would come soon. He tried to get the image of Deidara's half naked body out of his mind, but it seemed to be glued to the inside of his eyelids. Finally, sleep washed over him, encasing his mind with frightening dreams of black fire and smoke.


	4. Chapter 4: Art is a Mess

Sasori's alarm buzzed at 7am as it always does. He groggily got up from bed to shut it off, but a flash of blonde zoomed past him. "Shut that thing up!" Deidara yelled before taking the alarm clock and throwing it on the ground.

"No!" Sasori cried. A few screws on the alarm clock scattered across the floor as it hit the ground. The alarm clock was silent. "That was my clock that you just broke!"

"Sasori, don't you have anything more gentle to wake us up?" Deidara yawned. He lifted up his arms in a stretch, and Sasori could see a clear muscular line tracing down from his pectorals to his crotch…Sasori shook his head, shaking himself out of his desire.

"I do not have anything gentle, you just ruined the only alarm I had," he grumbled and walked out of the room, too distressed to say anything else.

He began making breakfast for himself and Deidara. As he scrambled the eggs in the pan, he heard Deidara shuffle into the kitchen. Sasori nearly dropped the pan when he saw that Deidara was wearing his clothes!

"Why the hell are you wearing my clothes?!" Sasori barked. Deidara had put on one of his favorite purple t-shirts, and his tight khaki skinny pants. The pants fit the length of Sasori's legs. On Deidara however, they cut off above his ankles. The t-shirt stretched a little too tightly on him, but it still looked good. It made his muscles pop out noticeably.

"I noticed that my sh- I mean, the outfit I wore yesterday, was not what people wear around here. So I decided I should fit in better, and I looked around in your closet for something to wear that would fit me and be fashionable. Trust me, I had to dig deep in your closet to find this," Deidara said, as if it was a trouble to him. He hadn't even asked Sasori's permission.

"So let me get this straight," Sasori said, clenching his spatula, "you just moved in to this town, and you don't have any other clothes?" Deidara nodded, as though this was normal. "And," Sasori added, "now that I think about it, you didn't seem to bring anything else with you. No furniture, no belongings, no clothes…just where the hell did you come from?"

Deidara smiled mischievously, "wouldn't you like to know," he said in a secretive tone.

"Yes," Sasori spat back, "I would! I mean, what the hell!? You can't just dig around in my closet and wear my clothes! You didn't even ask me first!"

"Oh that's right," Deidara said, "well, can I wear your clothes?"

"Oh jeez, you already are, so go ahead and wear them!" Sasori yelled. He turned back to the stove furiously, noticing that the eggs had almost burned. He turned off the stove and dished out the scrambled eggs onto two plates.

"Thanks!" Deidara said. He grabbed a plate from Sasori and then swooped down to place a quick kiss on his cheek.

"Hey, what did I say about that perverted stuff!? Cut it out," Sasori cried, rubbing his hand up against his burning cheek.

"It was just a gesture of thanks, cool it," Deidara said, smirking. "Besides, I know you like it." Deidara walked out of the kitchen, eating his eggs. Sasori fumed and tried to calm himself down. It was going to be another long day.

…..

Once in the shop, Sasori spent most of the morning giving out instructions to Deidara. He told him where everything went in the shop, how to manage the classes, how to deal with money transactions, how students could sign up for classes, and how to clean the store. He explained everything as the first few customers walked in and out, buying a few things here and there. He demonstrated to Deidara how to do various mundane, yet essential, tasks. To his surprise, Deidara listened quietly, soaking in the information and asking few questions.

Deidara got to work on creating a list for his pottery class. He placed the signup sheet at the counter, and Sasori was curious to see if anyone would go for it. Sasori had a painting class that afternoon, perhaps some of those students would be interested.

As the painting class began, Deidara stood by in the background. Sasori introduced his new assistant to his students, and then got to his instructions. Deidara walked around and helped the students out with their brushstrokes or with giving them more paint. Sasori was again surprised at how Deidara followed his directions. Perhaps he would be a good apprentice after all.

As the day came to a close, Sasori began instructing Deidara on how to clean up and close the store. Deidara listened, but kept glancing up at the counter. "You want to check on your pottery class list, don't you?" Sasori asked him.

"Yeah, hm. I saw a few people sign up, let me check if any more did." He walked to the counter and looked down at his list. He gave a high pitched squeal, "Oh yeah! 10 people signed up for my class!" He jumped up and down.

Sasori couldn't help but smile. Deidara was quite excited about this class, and he had proved himself a worthy and hard working assistant so far. Maybe having him around wasn't such a bad idea after all.

….

After work, Deidara retired upstairs to their loft and Sasori went to get some pizza for them. He knew he needed to stop eating out so much, but Deidara had suggested they get something to celebrate his first day of work. Sasori agreed that Deidara deserved some pizza, he had truly worked hard today.

Sasori held the hot box of pizza in one hand and opened the door with the other. Moshi greeted him and purred loudly, happy to see him. "Hi Moshi," Sasori said before walking up to the coffee table to place down the large pizza. Half cheese, half pineapple, per Deidara's strange request. "Deidara?" Sasori looked around the small room.

He walked into the bedroom, and found Deidara seated on the floor, deep in concentration. He was fixing the alarm clock that he had thrown earlier that morning. He jammed another screw into the clock, and it began to tick again. "I think I got it, hm," Deidara said proudly.

Sasori blinked in awe. He did not expect Deidara to come home and fix something that he had broken. Perhaps he had misjudged Deidara. After all, he had only known Deidara a full day. He probably needed to get to know him a little better before making up his mind about him. "Wow," Sasori said, "thanks."

"So, did you get the pineapple pizza or what?"

"Yeah, it's on the coffee table," Sasori replied. Deidara shot up and ran out like an excited little kid. He grabbed a slice of pineapple pizza and sat on the sofa, kicking his feet back up on the coffee table. Sasori eyed him, and Deidara placed his feet back on the ground.

"Sorry Danna," he said with his mouth full, "keep forgetting about that rule."

Sasori sighed and grabbed a slice of cheese pizza, sitting cautiously next to Deidara. Deidara blinked at him, and then smirked, "Oh, so you're ok with sitting next to me I see? Even though our arms are touching?" He elbowed Sasori playfully, raising up his eyebrows.

"If we're going to live together and work together, I figure it would be best if we try to get along." Sasori admitted. He took a bite of the pizza, although it was a little too greasy for his liking.

"That's what I've been trying to do all this time!" Deidara said, wrapping an arm around Sasori's neck, pulling him in closer, "Just trying to get close to my hot roommate!"

"That's _too_ close," Sasori grunted, removing himself from Deidara's grasp. He felt his cheeks warm when Deidara called him 'hot.' He wasn't sure if Deidara was being honest or just teasing him though…

"Alright, fine Danna, we'll take it slow," Deidara said before taking another large bite. "Let's watch something, I'm bored hm."

…..

Two days later, Deidara's first pottery class assembled in the art shop. Deidara had pulled out each pottery wheel in excitement, and had carefully prepared clay for each student. It was now Sasori's turn to sit back and watch, to see how Deidara would teach his class.

Deidara began by introducing himself boldly to the class, without a hint of nervousness. Sasori recalled his own first art class, back when he was only 20 years old. He had been so nervous at the time, he thought he was going to throw up. Deidara looked as cool as a cucumber.

Deidara cracked jokes and innuendos as he began to teach his class about forming their clay and using the water to keep it moist. "Keep the clay wet or you won't get it up," he joked. The class laughed at him as if he was the most hilarious person they had ever met. He easily charmed them all with his good looks and cheerful, funny persona. Sasori sat in the corner, watching with his arms crossed. He was jealous that this young blonde could build rapport with his students so easily. It took Sasori several weeks before he was comfortable with each class. Teaching seemed to come easily and naturally to Deidara.

As they began to form small balls of clay on their wheels, spinning slowly, Deidara walked around casually and helped his students out one by one. Sasori couldn't help but notice the sensual, gentle way Deidara placed his hands around each student's working fingers. The way he flashed a toothy, charming smile to each student. The flirty and funny quips that he whispered in their ears, or spoke aloud for them all to hear. All of these flirtatious actions Sasori noticed with intense jealousy rising in his chest like a monster. Deidara wasn't just sexual and flirty with Sasori, it seemed that he was like this to everyone.

Sasori tried to calm the jealous beast within him, he tried to tell himself that Deidara was just his apprentice, just his roommate. There was no reason to be jealous. Deidara had every right to be as flirty and silly with his students as he wanted. But Sasori could not tame the green monster, gnawing at his insides, desperately trying to get out.

Sasori muttered something under his breath about going to run an errand, and then stormed out of the art shop, leaving Deidara alone with his starry eyed students. He took a deep breath once he walked outside, hearing the 'ding' of the bell as he closed the door behind him. His hands were shaking and his chest felt swollen with envy.

Sasori took a walk around the block, breathing in deeply and exhaling slowly to calm down. He decided to treat himself to some sweets to get his mind off of things. He purchased some dango from a sweet shop and walked around a little longer, chewing on his treat until it was finished. He felt better after his stroll, so he decided he should return to his art shop.

He walked inside to find that the class had just finished. The students all wore bright smiles, and they looked exhilarated. Deidara was waving goodbye to them as they walked towards the door, talking excitedly amongst themselves. Sasori had never seen his own students look that happy after a class that he taught. The tiny green monster reared its head inside him again.

Then Sasori noticed in horror that there was clay strewn all over the shop. Bits of clay had smeared up on the floor, the walls and the shelves. There was even a dribble of clay stuck on the ceiling. Sasori had left the shop for 15 minutes, and everything had gone to shit! "What the hell!?" Sasori cried to Deidara once all the students had left. The green jealousy monster had turned into a raging, fiery beast that Sasori could no longer contain.

"Oh hey Sasori," Deidara beamed, seemingly oblivious to Sasori's anger, "yeah, we made a bit of a mess, but it was so much fun!"

"A _bit_ of a mess?! You think this is small!?" Sasori roared.

"Danna it's okay, I'll take care of it," Deidara said, grabbing the mop, still unaffected by Sasori's rage. He was acting calm and collected.

"You realize the next class is in 30 minutes," Sasori said grimly.

"I said I got it," Deidara replied, then rolled his eyes, "jeez, you have no trust in your apprentice, hm. Didn't you see how happy the students were? Don't you think a 'congrats' is in order?"

"You want me to congratulate you?" Sasori was beside himself with fury. Deidara nodded and then Sasori shouted, "fraternizing with the students is not acceptable Deidara!"

Deidara stared at Sasori, blinked twice and then burst out laughing. He hunched over in fits of laughter, holding his side and wiping tears from his face. "Just what the hell is so funny?" Sasori asked him. He could feel his temple throbbing.

"Oh man Sasori," Deidara managed to say, "this is rich. You are _so_ jealous!"

"What?! No! That's not the issue here," Sasori felt his face turn beet red.

"Danna, I flirt around with them to get good tips," Deidara pulled out a wad of cash from his pocket. _Sasori's_ pocket, to be more accurate.

Sasori walked up to him, silently admiring the stack of money in Deidara's hands. "How much is that?" he asked curiously.

"$120," Deidara said smugly. Sasori nearly fell to the floor in shock. One hundred and twenty dollars! That meant that each person gave him at least a $10 tip, and some had even pitched in more! The average tip for Sasori was usually around $5. "Well, that shut you up," Deidara said, noticing Sasori's astonishment.

Sasori said nothing. He had nothing to say. He made to turn around and walk away, but Deidara grabbed his wrist, pulling him in closer. Then Deidara gave him a light kiss on the cheek. "Don't be jealous Danna," he said, "none of those students are as cute as you. Like I said, it's all an act to get better tips."

Sasori pulled his hand away from Deidara's, "Fine, whatever," he grumbled, "like I care." Yet, he did care. He felt the green monster inside him calm down as butterflies took over, erupting forth within him when Deidara kissed his cheek. "Hurry and clean this shit up," he ordered, avoiding eye contact and walking away to grab another mop.

…

The next day was finally Friday. As Sasori closed the door at the end of the day and clicked the lock, Deidara whooped behind him. "Yes! The weekend!" he cried, doing another one of his silly dances.

"We still have to clean the store," Sasori said.

"Oh c'mon, I know you're excited! It's our first weekend together as roomies!" Deidara cried happily, "stop being a downer all the time." Sasori didn't say anything, but he did flash a small smile to Deidara as he began to wipe down the countertop. He had to admit to himself that he was excited to spend a weekend with his crazy new roommate. He wondered what Deidara wanted to do. He hoped it wasn't anything too wild.

"What do you have in mind for the weekend?" Sasori asked him.

"Hmm, good question," Deidara said as he stacked the paints back up on the walls. "Well, tonight I'm going to go shopping and get myself some new clothes, hm."

"Good idea," Sasori said. His outfit from yesterday had been stretched out, and there was no doubt that Deidara had probably ruined his clothes today as well.

"Yeah, it should only take me a few hours, what will you do?" Deidara inquired. Sasori felt a bit put out that Deidara didn't invite him to come along shopping, but he did have another idea in mind since it seemed he would have some alone time.

"I think I'll go to the library, pick out a good book to read," Sasori said.

"Pff, that sounds dull. I'll swing by after I buy new clothes so I can model them off to you," Deidara said with a wink.

…..

An hour after closing, Sasori found himself browsing through different titles at the library. He was looking for an adventure tale, but specifically one about ninja. He loved the ninja tales. He knew they weren't real, but as a child, his parents would always read him ninja stories. They had even led him to believe for some time that there were once ninja in the past.

He finally found a title that sounded worth reading- "The Tales of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi" by a man named Jiraiya. Sasori recognized that name as the author of the dirty 'make out series' novels. He had never read them, but knew them to be popular. He figured he could give the author a shot.

He began to read about the main character Naruto and instantly fell in love with the storyline. He turned page after page, desperate to know how Naruto would defeat his enemies and go on to find peace for the shinobi world. He was so absorbed in the book, that he didn't realize how much time had passed. He did not notice when Deidara walked up in front of him.

"Ahem," Sasori heard the throat clear from Deidara, but still did not look up from his book. Deidara peered over to see what Sasori was reading, and then burst out laughing.

Sasori finally put the book down, annoyed. "What's so funny?" he asked.

Deidara took a moment to control himself before answering, "you're reading a book about shinobi!" he said.

"Why the hell is that funny?" Sasori asked again.

"I-I just never knew you were interested in ninja. It's quite ironic," Deidara said through another fit of laughter. Sasori was clueless as to what he meant by that.

"Can you please leave me alone so I can finish the book?" Sasori asked. "I'm almost done."

Deidara had finally stopped laughing, "don't you want to see my new outfits, hm?"

"Not here in a library," Sasori snapped back, lifting his book back up.

"Oh, I see," Deidara said in a sensual voice. He curved his pointer finger over the edge of Sasori's book, pulling it down slowly, "so you'd like a more private showing, hm? Well, that can be arranged. When you finish you're book, I'll be home waiting for you." He winked and licked his lips. Sasori gulped and hid his face behind his book. When he looked up again, Deidara was already gone.


	5. Chapter 5: Questions and Answers

It took Sasori a little longer than he expected to finish the book. He was quite satisfied with the ending, but was sad to learn that there had not been a sequel. According to the librarian, no one knows what happened to the man called Jiraiya. Apparently he had suddenly stopped writing novels a long while ago.

Sasori's head was so full of thoughts about ninja battles and missions, that he almost forgot about Deidara's suggestive promise to him. He suddenly recalled Deidara's words as he opened his door. He stepped into his place cautiously, afraid that Deidara might pop out at any moment to scare him or catch him off guard. Deidara would be the type to do such a thing.

Then Sasori heard something coming from the bedroom. He couldn't quite make out the noise, it was like a tiny slapping. He pushed open the door and was met by a disturbing and extremely embarrassing sight.

Deidara was seated on his bed, half naked, with one hand down his boxers and the other holding onto some papers. The hand in his boxers was moving furiously up and down, it was quite clear what he was doing. He blushed a little when he saw Sasori standing there, clearly stunned. His hand stopped moving, but it was still stuck under his boxers. Apparently he wasn't even going to try to make up some excuse. "Oh, you're finally back," he said flatly. "Either close the door so I can finish," then he licked his lips, "or, you could come up here and help."

"A-ah!" Sasori cried. He seemed to be more flustered and embarrassed than Deidara, when it should have been the other way around. He seemed glued to the spot, as though his brain had stopped firing his muscle movements. He had just walked in on his roommate masturbating. He tried to force his body to move, to get out of there, but then he recognized the papers that Deidara was holding in his other hand.

"Hey!" he yelled, "That's mine!"

"Oh, these naughty drawings of yours?" Deidara held them up, "they are _very_ realistic. Your naked porno drawings sort of got me in the mood. I was waiting so long for you, and they caught my attention."

"Those are not porno drawings, those are art!" Sasori yelled, "stop defacing them and hand them over! And can you please take your hand off your dick while I'm talking to you!?" Sasori's face was scarlet with rage and embarrassment.

Deidara sighed, "it's going limp again, and I was almost done. Way to cock-block me. Here," he threw the papers from his hand, and they flew around the room before drifting to the floor. Sasori scurried to pick them all up. "I didn't deface them, I was just using them along with my imagination. Why do you draw naked art, hm?"

"These are sketches and prototypes for my puppets," Sasori said as he hurried to pick up all his drawings.

"Hm, well they were all a bunch of naked men, so naturally I got excited. I didn't see any drawings of you though, which was disappointing. That's why I had to use my imagination," Deidara said as he clambered down from the top bunk. Sasori felt his heart leap up in his throat and his breath hitch. He tried to ignore Deidara's remark, he was feeling thoroughly flustered and embarrassed.

"I don't like this drawing though," Deidara admitted as he picked up a drawing of someone's face. Sasori turned to see that it was the lone picture he had drawn of his old apprentice, Sasuke.

"That's Sasuke," Sasori stated simply, snatching it out of Deidara's dirty fingers.

"Oh, your old apprentice," Deidara said it with a hint of malice, "was he your lover?"

This made Sasori laugh, "hell no," he said. "I just drew him on a slow day at the art shop. I always thought he was sort of good looking, but I was never really attracted to him like that…"

"Did you know him well?" Deidara asked. Sasori wondered why Deidara was so inquisitive about Sasuke.

"Not really, he was pretty quiet. He came and did his job in silence each day," Sasori said, "we spoke a few times, but never had any real meaningful conversations."

"Hmm," was all Deidara said to that.

"Why are you asking me about Sasuke anyways?" Sasori wondered.

Deidara blinked and then put on a devious smile, "no reason," he said, "I'm just glad to be your apprentice now. I'll give you way more attention than that stupid Sasuke." He handed the last drawing to Sasori and then walked off towards the bathroom, "I'm going to finish off what I started," he said, "so don't come in. Or," he bit his lip, "do." He sashayed away slowly.

….

Sasori was too nervous and uncomfortable to join Deidara in the bathroom while he finished masturbating. How dare Deidara even suggest such a thing? Sasori never knew if Deidara was just being facetious or if he was serious. Sasori chose to go to the furthest corner of the loft, away from the bathroom so he wouldn't hear Deidara's moans. He decided to rummage through his fridge in search of any alcoholic beverage. He felt he needed a drink after that humiliating conversation.

Deidara returned just a few minutes later. Sasori turned to him from the kitchen, still looking for a drink. "I feel much better," Deidara said.

"Okay, I don't want to hear about your dirty deeds," Sasori said. "I've been trying to find something alcoholic, but I think I'll have to take a trip to the liquor store."

"Oh alcohol! Naughty Danna!" Deidara said, "I can go get the drinks, you wait here."

"Um, sure," Sasori said, eyeing Deidara carefully. He wondered why Deidara had offered to go buy the alcohol.

Deidara was already grabbing his wallet and keys, rushing out the front door. Sasori heard his loud footsteps as he ran down the stairs. Sasori peered out the window and saw the blonde walk by. He had a phone up to his ear and was speaking rapidly. Curiosity took hold of Sasori, and he leaned further out the window, trying to listen to what Deidara was saying.

"-definitely him!" Deidara said into his phone. "Yes, I know that. I'll check that out this weekend while I have the time. And then it's just a matter of finding-" But whatever it was that Deidara was supposed to find was lost to Sasori as he walked away from earshot. Sasori pondered what that conversation meant, and who Deidara could have been talking to.

…..

Deidara returned a half hour later holding up a bottle of tequila and orange juice. He also had a bag full of snacks- licorice, chocolate bars, lollipops and potato chips. "This is the most childish assortment of snacks I've ever seen," Sasori commented, "and you brought back tequila? Of all the alcoholic beverages you could buy, you got _tequila?!"_

"What's wrong with tequila?" Deidara snapped back.

"How are we supposed to relax after a long day with tequila? Tequila is for going wild at parties." Sasori said.

"Well, who says the two of us can't get wild here!" Deidara flashed a dangerously mischievous smile, "live a little Sasori!" He hopped over to the kitchen to make their drinks. He returned with their orange juice tequila mixtures in hand, looking excited.

"Alright, fine," Sasori said, taking a sip of his drink. It was much stronger than what he normally mixed, it felt like fire running down his throat. He cringed at the taste, but forced down another sip.

"Hey Sasori let's play a game, hm," Deidara said, scooting closer to him on the couch.

"What kind of game?"

"A drinking game to get to know each other better," Deidara explained, "We can ask each other questions about anything. If you feel too uncomfortable to answer the question, then you have to take a drink."

"That doesn't sound too bad…" Sasori said, "but I doubt you'd be uncomfortable about any question I ask you."

Deidara smirked, "you don't know that. Go ahead, ask away."

"Where did you come from? And why did you come here?" Sasori asked. His mind was full of questions for Deidara, this would be easy.

"One question at a time, which is first?"

"Where are you from?" Sasori asked again. Deidara winked at him and took a sip of his drink. "Oh c'mon! Why can't you tell me that one!? It's a simple question!"

"My turn," Deidara said, ignoring Sasori's indignation. "Is the landlady your grandmother?"

"Yes," Sasori was too stunned to turn down the question, "how did you know that?"

"I had a hunch, the way she was speaking about you. Now for my next question-"

"Wait, it's my turn," Sasori said, cutting Deidara off mid-sentence.

"You asked me how I knew the landlady was your grandmother, that was a question," Deidara smiled.

"That's not fair," Sasori grumbled, "fine, give me your next question."

"Why don't you and your grandmother get along?" was Deidara's next inquiry.

"Hm, it's kind of a long story," Sasori said.

"We have time." Deidara said before taking another sip of his drink. It seemed he was pretty lax about his drinking rules.

"Well, when I was a little kid, around 8 years old, my parents went on a big art exhibition trip. They owned the art shop before I did, and everyone loved their art. They went to sell it at a gallery in another country, and were supposed to be gone for a month. I stayed with granny Chiyo for that time. But then, a month passed without them coming back. I asked granny why they hadn't returned yet, and she told me that their travels were going to take longer than expected. Another two months passed, and I would constantly ask granny when my parents were going to return. One day after 3 months of not seeing my parents, I asked granny again to tell me what happened. She finally revealed that my parents had died in a horrible car accident. She had been too afraid to tell me, and had kept it a secret. I never even got to attend my own parents' funeral because of her…she said the sight would have upset me, they had gotten mangled by the accident. I grew distant from my grandmother after that day, and I still haven't been able to truly forgive her. She kept the truth about my parents from me for so long…the day I turned 18 I moved out." Sasori explained it all in a rush. He could feel tears welling up in his eyes, it was a topic that he did not relish talking about.

Deidara took hold of Sasori's hand and gently squeezed it. "I'm sorry that happened," he said sincerely. His eyes reflected true sympathy. Sasori blinked back his tears, feeling better with Deidara holding his hand.

"It's alright," Sasori said, "now it's my turn again."

"That's right, ask away," Deidara said.

"Why did you come to this town?" Sasori asked. He hoped Deidara wouldn't take another drink this time.

To his delight, Deidara answered, "To be honest with you, I was sent here to carry out a mission of sorts…but I also wanted to leave my old town because I was fed up with how things were going. I didn't have many friends, and I never knew my own parents. I was raised as an orphan. I was craving a change. When I got here, I saw your art shop and knew I had found a good place to start."

"A mission? What mission?" Sasori's interest was piqued.

Deidara wagged a finger at him, "one question only Danna. Perhaps I'll reveal that matter to you, but now is not the time."

"You're more mysterious than I thought," Sasori said. Deidara smiled widely, as though this was a compliment.

"So Sasori, how many boyfriends have you had?" Deidara asked, leaning in closer to him. Sasori took a large gulp of his drink, glad that he could avoid that question. His embarrassing answer was that he had only had 4 real boyfriends.

"Aw," Deidara looked put out.

"Well, how many boyfriends have you had?" Sasori spit back the question.

"Only one Danna," Deidara confessed.

"One?!" Sasori couldn't believe it. "Don't you have to drink if you lie!?"

"I'm not lying," Deidara laughed, "I dated a guy when I was 17. I've had plenty of hook ups, but no real dates since him. I'm only 19, remember Danna?" he smiled innocently. But Sasori knew he was far from innocent.

"Who was your boyfriend?" Sasori asked.

Deidara grinned, "it's not your turn silly. Now, when was your first kiss?"

Sasori glared at him and took another sip of his drink. He felt his head begin to buzz from the alcohol. Tequila always hit him fast.

"Aw no fair!" Deidara complained, "you're drinking for everything!"

"You made up the rules," Sasori reminded him, "So, who was your boyfriend?"

"His name was Akio, he was 3 years older than me and very handsome. We had a lot of fun together, we dated for about 7 months. But then he told me that he loved me, and I realized I couldn't say the same back to him. I was happy with him, and I had fun, but that was all…I never felt a deep, loving connection with him," Deidara said. "After breaking up with him, I sort of just hooked up and fooled around with guys, thinking that I wouldn't easily find a deep connection with anyone. It was more fun for me to just fool around than risk getting myself or another person's feelings hurt." Deidara's explanation of his love affairs made sense to Sasori. He felt he could understand him, even though his own sexual encounters and dating experiences had been different. Sasori noticed with a bit of shock that his thumb had been slowly caressing Deidara's hand in gentle, soothing circles. He had even leaned in closer to Deidara, and had his head resting next to Deidara's upon the couch. His body had reacted on its own without any second thoughts. Perhaps he should stop drinking and just answer the questions.

"My turn again," Deidara said with delight. Sasori took another sip of the nearly poisonous concoction while he waited for Deidara's question. His head was fully ablaze with drunkenness now, his cheeks were red and warm and his inhibition was lowered. He hadn't noticed until now how low his drink was in his cup.

"Alright Danna," Deidara said. He turned his head so he was face to face with Sasori, and looked him straight in the eye, "Do you find me attractive?"

"Yes," Sasori blurted this out without even thinking. His inhibition was definitely at an all time low. The wide smile that spread across Deidara's lips made Sasori's insides squirm. He noticed that Deidara also had flushed cheeks from the alcohol. "My turn," Sasori said, lifting himself up a little higher in the couch and staring into Deidara's blue eyes. He wanted to be sure, "do you find me attractive? You called me your 'hot roommate' the other day, but I don't know if you were being honest."

"Yes, I was," Deidara said, "Danna, you're probably the hottest guy I've ever seen." Sasori kept his gaze on Deidara's blue eyes, looking for any sign that he was lying. It seemed Deidara was telling the truth, his words and his facial expression did not give any hint of fallacy.

Deidara wrapped an arm around Sasori's neck, "my turn," he whispered. "Do you want to kiss me?"

Sasori felt his heart swoop in his chest, but he decided to tease the blonde. It was the perfect opportunity. He smiled playfully and then put his cup to his lips and finished his drink. He heard Deidara moan, "Aw c'mon! You don't have to-"

But Deidara's sentence was cut off again as Sasori flung his empty cup aside and pressed his lips against Deidara's. He pulled back a second later and replied, "Yes. Gotcha," into Deidara's mouth. Deidara blinked in surprise before a wide smirk ran across his reddened face. He closed the gap between them again and pulled Sasori in for another kiss. This time, Deidara pushed open Sasori's mouth and let his tongue explore Sasori. Sasori responded with his own tongue, pushing it up inside Deidara's mouth, and embracing the warmth of Deidara's breath.

They entwined their arms around each other as their passionate and drunken kissing continued. Neither of them wanted to stop. All the sexual tension was finally loose, and it took all Sasori had to keep his clothes on. Although he was inebriated, he knew he wanted to wait for more. He didn't want to become another one of Deidara's hook up stories.

With that thought in mind, Sasori pulled away. Deidara was smiling brighter than he had ever seen him smile. "Mmm," Deidara said, "you taste so sweet."

Sasori smiled and wrapped an arm around Deidara, pulling him in to his chest. Deidara rested his head upon Sasori's shoulder, and rubbed his fingers along Sasori's chest, playing with the fabric of his shirt. "I bet you have an amazing body under this…" he mused.

"You'll have to wait to find out," Sasori warned. He ran his fingers through Deidara's long blonde hair. "I really liked kissing you Deidara."

"I know Danna," Deidara said, turning his head up, "we can do more than kiss, if you'd like."

"I want to, but not yet," Sasori said before hiccupping. That tequila really was strong.

Deidara laughed at him, "fine Sasori. Jeez, you're probably the only guy I've met who actually wants to take things slow."

Sasori kissed the top of Deidara's blonde head, "It's better to wait," he said. His eyes felt droopy, he was starting to get tired. "Besides," he added before hiccupping again, "I'm getting sleepy."

"You go to sleep so early," Deidara complained. Then he yawned loudly and laughed.

"Hm, look who's talking," Sasori said with a laugh. Deidara nuzzled his face deeper into Sasori's chest.

"Mmm, you smell good Danna," he said.

"You're drunk," Sasori pointed out. Deidara laughed and wrapped his arms around Sasori's waist. Sasori was perfectly content with this. He let his head fall back onto the pillow behind him. Deidara had closed his eyes on Sasori's chest and was breathing evenly. Sasori watched Deidara fall asleep, noticing how cute and innocent he looked. Sleep soon took over Sasori's body too, shrouding him with pleasant dreams.


	6. Chapter 6: The Shark Man

Sasori held Deidara's hand in his as the grass crunched beneath their feet. He rubbed the bandage on Deidara's hand with his thumb, caressing it lightly. "Why are you still wearing bandages?" Sasori asked him.

"Trust me, you don't want to see what's under those right now," Deidara said. Deidara tugged on Sasori's hand a little harder, leading him deeper into the woods.

"Why are we taking a hike through this dark and desolate forest?" Sasori asked him for about the hundredth time. This was what Deidara had chosen to do for the weekend, go on a hike in the woods with a bottle of wine. He thought it would be a blast to get drunk among the nature.

Deidara pushed through another thicket of branches, "I want to see the area of forest that was burned down, it'll be interesting. I'm curious," Deidara said. Sasori raised an eyebrow, not sure what to make of this. Why was he so interested in the remains of the fire?

They trudged through the forest for another thirty minutes before they reached the area that Deidara was looking for. The trees, bushes, plants and all signs of life were wiped out before them, stretching a vast mile or so ahead. The ground was charred and black, a ghastly and disturbing sight. The earth looked cold and desolate. An ashy smell still clung to the air, making Sasori's nostrils tingle unpleasantly. He breathed in deeply, which was a mistake. He coughed immediately afterwards, exhaling the violent fumes of smoke that reached his lungs.

"This is nasty," Sasori said, covering his mouth, "let's get out of here."

Deidara didn't respond, he was looking at the once beautiful forest with pure loathing in his eyes. Sasori had not seen his blue eyes look so dark before now. They were tinted with abhorrence, and his fists were shaking. "Dammit!" he cried out. "It's definitely him!"

Sasori was about to place a hand on Deidara's back in comfort, looking for the words to soothe his anger, when he heard the crinkling of the grass behind him. "Deidara" a low voice called. Sasori and Deidara whipped their heads around in unison towards the source of that voice.

Sasori's mouth was agape as he stared at the strangest man he'd ever seen. He was tall, with long, billowing black robes adorned with a pattern of red clouds. His face was tinted blue, and he had slits along his cheeks and beady, fish-like eyes. He wore a headband on his forehead similar to the one Deidara wore when he first walked into the art shop. A massive sword hung on his back, wrapped up in white cloth. When he grinned, Sasori could swear that he saw a row of daggers for teeth. This was impossible though…Sasori couldn't believe what he was seeing. It had to be a costume and make-up. No human being looked like that. He looked like a shark.

"Kisame," Deidara hissed in reply, "why are you here?"

"Come home Deidara, this mission of yours is foolish. The akatsuki need you," Kisame implored.

"I'm here to clear my name," Deidara said, "nothing could be more important."

"The chances of finding that worm and convincing him to come home are slim," Kisame replied.

"I have to locate him, and keep him alive…that's all. Naruto will take care of the rest. And he promised to clear my name," Deidara replied. Sasori's head was swimming with questions. What did all of this mean? Who exactly was Deidara?

Kisame seemed to finally notice Sasori's presence, "He doesn't even know, does he?" he asked, pointing a blue finger at the redhead.

"Keep him out of this," Deidara said, "this is between you and me. And my answer to you is that I am not coming back. Not until the mission is complete."

"I had a feeling you would say that," Kisame sighed, "I'll have to fight you then. I have to admit though, I've been looking forward to fighting with you for a long time. This should be interesting."

Deidara's lip curled up, "Yes, indeed. Are you really sure this is necessary though, hm?" As he spoke, he handed the wine bottle to Sasori, who took it with confusion. A fight? What was going on? Sasori was baffled, and couldn't hold his tongue any longer.

"Is anyone going to explain to me what's happening?" he nearly yelled the question. He was trying to keep his cool though, trying not to look like a befuddled buffoon in front of this newcomer.

Deidara turned to look at Sasori, with a sad smile. "I wish you didn't have to find out like this," he said, then sighed, "remember that ninja book you were reading in the library? The reason I found it so amusing is because I'm a ninja. Kisame and I are part of an organization called the akatsuki, we come from a country far from here where ninja live. The rest of the world chose to hide us away in one land and erase us from history. But ninja still exist."

"Ninja are real?!" Sasori stammered. His parents had always told him that there was an age where ninja lived amongst the world. He believed them until his 1st grade teacher told him otherwise and laughed at him. How did his parents know that ninja were existent?

Deidara was beginning to pull off the white bandage from his hand, "how did you find me?" he asked Kisame without looking up.

"I sensed chakra," Kisame said, pointing to his sword.

"Hm, I thought these bandages were supposed to suppress my chakra," Deidara said, grunting. "I laced them with a special chakra that is designed to conceal my chakra to others, even the best sensory ninjas." The bandages were finally undone, and Sasori looked upon Deidara's hands with horror. A mouth laid upon each palm, with wet, red tongues sticking out hungrily. Deidara shoved his hands into the bags on his hips, and Sasori could hear the mouths munching on something. He felt a shiver run up his spine.

"It wasn't your chakra I sensed," Kisame said, eyeing Sasori. Sasori flinched from his look. Sasori knew what chakra was, it was all explained in the many ninja books he had read as a child. His parents had also explained to him the ways of the shinobi, so he was quite familiar with the various nature types of chakra as well. The power of the shinobi had always been an interest to him as a child.

Sasori felt his hands shaking as Deidara and Kisame began to circle each other slowly in the clearing among the ashes. Was Kisame suggesting that Sasori had chakra? Sasori did not know what to think, his world seemed shattered. Everything he knew about his life seemed like a lie. How could history have erased the truth about the ninjas? He slumped down against a charred tree, and watched as Deidara and Kisame threw various insults at each other. He was about to witness an actual ninja fight.

Deidara pulled out his hands from his bags, and his left mouth spit out a small clay bug, which grew larger in his hand until it was roughly the size of his face.

"Oh, one of your explosives I see," Kisame said.

"You're at a disadvantage here my friend," Deidara said. "Prepare to be blown away by my art hm!" The clay bug jumped forward from Deidara's hand towards Kisame. Once it landed on Kisame's shoulder, it exploded loudly. Sasori cried out loud with shock.

But the fight had only just begun. What Deidara had thought was Kisame was actually just a water clone. His figure dissolved into a puddle on the earth, and the real Kisame flew in from behind Deidara, with his foot outstretched for a kick. Deidara grabbed Kisame's leg with both hands and threw him on the ground. Kisame somersaulted back and flipped up onto his feet again. Deidara had put his hands into his pockets of clay and fell back a few feet. Sasori could see that he was a long distance fighter.

Kisame backed up a few feet too, his hands moving fast with hand signs. Then Kisame opened his mouth and spat out water. A massive amount of water flew forth like a tidal wave, covering the ground with astounding speed. Sasori was swept up by the waves and pushed up against a tree. He quickly grabbed onto a tree branch and climbed up the tree, looking down upon the tiny ocean that had emanated forth from this shark man. Sasori panted, looking everywhere for Deidara.

Finally, the blonde's head emerged from the water. Kisame was riding atop a wave, and smirking. "It's over Deidara," Kisame said.

Deidara's figure began to melt, and Sasori cried with shock. Then he realized that it was only a clay clone. But, where was the real Deidara?

Sasori looked up to the sky as he heard a swift rustle in the wind. A massive white bird flew past him, and Deidara was situated on the nape of the bird's neck. Deidara threw down a smaller white clay bird, targeted towards Kisame's face.

Kisame dodged the bird easily, swimming away and hiding beneath the water. Deidara smiled and said, "watch this Sasori, I got him now."

The pool of water rose up into the sky as an explosion was set off from below the water. Sasori had no idea how Deidara had set up an explosive within the water, but somehow, he had. Kisame was definitely caught up in the detonation this time, his form flew into the sky along with the water, and Deidara flew right for it. Deidara reached an arm forward and grabbed the handle of Kisame's sword before Kisame could react. Deidara then flew up higher into the sky, holding out the blade, careful only to touch the handle and nothing else.

Kisame fell back onto the ground with a loud, hard crack. The water had dissipated, it seemed that Kisame's chakra had taken a blow after the explosion. The water sunk into the earth, and Sasori thought it would be okay to climb back down from his tree.

Deidara kept his position on his bird high in the sky, "Now it's over hm!" he cried triumphantly, holding out Kisame's sword like a prized possession. "If you want this back, then leave me alone!"

Kisame grunted but then smiled. Pulling his fingers up to his mouth, he blew a loud whistle. The sword in Deidara's hand kicked itself up, shaking madly until Deidara was forced to let it go. The sword fell towards the ground and Kisame caught it in his hand, "No one can handle Samehada except for myself, your threat is empty."

Deidara gritted his teeth, "Well then, I'll just have to set off anoth-"

"Wait," Kisame lifted a hand up, "Don't set off another water bomb. I realize now that your first bug must have had micro-bugs attached to it, am I right? When my water clone dissipated, those micro-bugs entered my chakra water."

"That's right," Deidara said.

"Smart move. Now, I can't use my normal water release because your bugs could still be hiding within my water…I still have a lot of chakra though." Kisame said with a smirk.

Deidara's hands were in his pockets again, eating up more clay. "Let's see how you handle this!" he threw down two more clay birds, but these swooped down faster and more precisely than the last. Instead of targeting Kisame, they were headed for his sword.

Sasori thought this would be the end of the fight, but Kisame's sword shook again, tearing off the wrapping. A giant spike-scaled sword with razor sharp teeth emerged. The teeth bit viciously in the air at the birds, and then swallowed the birds whole. Deidara set off the bomb, but it did not have the effect on Samehada that he would have liked. Dark smoke furled out of Samehada's mouth, but it was unscathed.

"That was delicious," Kisame said, "Samehada eats chakra, remember? It can even suck out the explosive chakra from your silly little clay."

Sasori noticed that the sword looked more swollen now after devouring the chakra from Deidara's birds. "Enough of this foolishness Deidara, you are no match for me. Come back to the akatsuki," Kisame implored.

"No!" Deidara cried, swooping down lower. He had created a caterpillar with his clay, and he sent it down towards Kisame, aimed at his shoulder. Samehada caught the clay in his mouth, devouring the chakra and growing larger again.

"Pretty soon, I will use up all your chakra," Kisame said, shaking his head.

Sasori couldn't just stand there and let this shark man take Deidara away. He was thinking fast, trying to come up with some sort of plan. There had to be a way to help Deidara.

Sasori was struck with an idea that he hoped would work. As Deidara and Kisame exchanged more words and blows, Sasori put his plan into effect. He snuck over to get closer to Kisame, and then dug out some rope from his backpack. Since they were out on a hike, he had actually prepared for the wilderness, unlike Deidara. He tied a small hook to the rope and then crouched down by a bush ready for his opportunity. It seemed that neither Deidara nor Kisame had noticed his movements, they were completely absorbed in their own battle.

When Kisame stepped back a few inches, preparing his next attack, Sasori flung out his man-made fishing lure, catching the hook on Samehada. Of course, Samehada was huge, so Sasori had to use all his might to budge him out of Kisame's hand. When he did, Kisame turned and glared at Sasori, holding back his sword. "You insolent little bastard!" Kisame screeched, "how dare you try to step in!?"

It was the distraction that Deidara needed. Before Kisame could swivel around to face his true opponent, clay spider arms gripped his backside. **Boom!** The explosion emanated throughout the forest, knocking Kisame back several feet, and Samehada flying in another direction. Sasori fell back from the explosion, tumbling over in the grass.

Sasori got up to see the damage, wondering if Deidara had killed Kisame. Before he could take a peek, he was grabbed roughly by the collar of his shirt. "Ah!" he yelled. He was then swung up and seated on Deidara's bird, flying full speed ahead.

"Hold on tight," Deidara instructed. Sasori grabbed his waist tightly, looking down upon the blurred ground. He gulped and closed his eyes.

"What just happened?" Sasori asked, nearly out of breath.

"Kisame was knocked out, but he'll be back up in no time. We need to get back to our place before he does and hide ourselves. Here, wrap this around your hand." He handed the white bandage to Sasori, the one that was filled with the chakra suppressant he had spoke of earlier. Sasori wrapped it around his hand, noticing that Deidara had already done the same on both of his palms.

Once they were a safe distance away from the burnt wasteland, Deidara flew them down to the ground so they could walk the rest of the distance to their apartment. Deidara held Sasori's hand and walked briskly. "I know you have a ton of questions, but wait until we get back inside, hm." Deidara said. Sasori nodded.

Once they finally made it back home, Deidara closed the door behind them and sighed heavily. Then, before Sasori could open his mouth, Deidara pushed him up against the wall and kissed him roughly, pressing his lips up on Sasori's with vigor. He pulled away from the kiss, still holding Sasori against the wall, and said, "That was stupid Danna, but thank you. You provided a distraction, and I was able to finally knock him out."

Sasori blinked, feeling thoroughly overwhelmed from everything he had just witnessed. His heartbeat was fast from adrenaline as well as a hint of lust from Deidara's forceful kiss against the wall. But, there would be time for kissing later. Sasori needed to get to the bottom of all the questions he had. "Who are you?" was all Sasori could think to ask at that moment. His head was buzzing madly with inquiries.


	7. Chapter 7: Deidara the Shinobi

**Author's Note:** I guess I should explain that this is an AU in which the shinobi world still exists, but in a different way. There will be some similarities to the Naruto storyline, but things will pan out in a different way…no deaths of Sasori or Deidara that's for sure! Hope you guys keep reading and leaving nice reviews, thanks so much!

…..

Deidara smiled, and released his tight grip on Sasori, allowing Sasori's feet to slump back to the floor. Deidara sighed, "This may be a long explanation," he said.

"We have time," Sasori said. Deidara grinned, recalling the words he told Sasori just last night when they were playing their drinking game. He took a step back from Sasori, wondering where to start.

"Okay," he said, "so now you know that the shinobi world exists…and I am a shinobi. So what else do you want to ask me?" Deidara began.

"Where is this shinobi country? How is it possible that it's hidden from the rest of us?" Sasori wanted to know.

Deidara rummaged through his pocket and pulled out a crumbled up piece of paper. He opened it and laid it flat on the coffee table, and pointed to a small country east of where Sasori lived. Sasori had never seen that country located on any other map. "This is the hidden country of the ninja," Deidara explained, "long ago, ninja lived everywhere, but not everyone was a ninja. The people who ruled the various countries of the world feared the ninja and their powers. So in the late 1800s, there was an ordinance to remove all the ninja. Ninja were hunted down by the thousands, but of course, they didn't die so easily. Ninja have special powers and chakra, making it almost impossible for them to be killed by a layperson. So, the various rulers of the world decided on a new decree- they met with ninja leaders and everyone agreed that the ninja would take this land, seclude themselves from the rest of the world. In that way, the ninja could have peace from everyone else in the world. But, of course, the ninja did not have peace amongst themselves. And, it seems that the rest of the world erased the ninja from their history, trying to create a world without shinobi or powerful fighting." Deidara sighed after his long winded explanation and sat himself on the couch. Sasori seated himself next to Deidara, and gave him an inquisitive glance. He still didn't fully understand.

"What if someone tried to take a boat or a plane across the sea? What if they accidentally stumbled upon this land?" Sasori couldn't believe that an entire country was erased from his history books and lessons.

"The very important people of your world know of its existence, and will do anything to avoid it. As for the few people who do come across us on tiny boats or personal airplanes, we have a welcome port with a crew of liars. They tell those people that this is a small private island, owned by some rich man who doesn't want visitors. They soon leave, usually with few questions." Deidara sighed, "The children in my country grow up not knowing much about the rest of the world either. I told you before that I was an orphan, which is true. I was raised by a teacher in the ninja academy, which is a school where young children go to learn how to become a shinobi. I learned from a very young age about ninjutsu, which is the power of the ninja."

"Yes, I read many books on ninja, I know about ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu," Sasori said.

"Hm, that's right," Deidara said, thinking, "I wonder why they allow those ninja books on the shelves here…perhaps it's been good for business. Anyways, I was always curious as a little kid why we only had missions pertaining to the surrounding villages within our country. I asked around about this all the time until I finally got a straight answer. I learned that there was an entire world out there that I did not know about, but that I was not allowed to travel outside of my country. I was supposed to stay in this ninja country my whole life as a ninja, and never venture away. That thought made me go a little nuts, so I left my own village, in search of a purpose. I was tired of the shinobi way, fighting on missions and making a decent living…I didn't know what the purpose was in that. So at the age of 16, I joined the akatsuki. The akatsuki is a secretive, underground organization in pursuit of true peace for the shinobi. They take on the cruelest and most powerful evil beings in the land. They first try to talk to them, try to tell them that killing is not the way to rise to power. But that almost never works. Then the akatsuki fight, and they almost always defeat their opponent. The opponent is then taken to prison if they are truly evil, or the opponent will have a change of heart, and is given a second chance. Simply put, that's the rules of the akatsuki."

"Hmm," Sasori ruminated over all the information he just took in. He still had tons of questions, "So, how did you get taken into the akatsuki at such a young age?"

"Well," Deidara admitted, "I was one of the rogues they were after. I told you I defected from my village, but what I didn't mention was that I began to work as a specialized bomber for any military leader who would pay the best price. My services were used in war and in small battles alike, but I didn't care. I was just searching for something, my heart was empty. Explosions always seemed to fill the void, watching the reactions on people's faces…I hate to admit it, pleased me. My art of explosion stunned thousands. People knew me as a crazy bomber with little care for life. The akatsuki took me on, and I lost in battle to a man named Itachi Uchiha. He had strong, powerful eyes that put me under a genjutsu. After that battle, they gave me the option to join them in the akatsuki. I thought about all my previous actions, and realized that bombing people senselessly was not what I was meant to do. With the ideals of the akatsuki, to bring on a more peaceful livelihood for the shinobi world, I thought I could find a purpose."

"Did you?" Sasori asked, "I mean, did you find your purpose in life?"

"For a time, yes. I was happy with them. I made friends and felt good each time we saved innocent lives from death. But, I still craved more…I wanted to leave that country so badly. I guess I never really felt like it was my home, since I never knew my parents and since I left my own village. You know, no one from my village ever came to look for me…I guess they just figured I was a lost cause." Deidara's eyes were downcast. "I've heard people say that home is where you've found someone that loves you, someone that wants to be with you all the time. I never found that person…they definitely weren't from my village, and as much as I enjoyed being a member of the akatsuki, that person wasn't in the akatsuki either. I still felt an emptiness within me."

"So is that why you came here?" Sasori asked him, "You're in search of a person to spend your life with?"

"No, that's not the reason," Deidara gave Sasori a small smile, "I realize you can't just go looking for that person, you can't just find a soul mate so quickly. What I'm after is a man who defected from the shinobi country and came here. He's the one who created those black endless fires, he used his ocular powers to do so. He's ranked as the top enemy of the shinobi world right now, he burned down vast lands and forests back in my country before he left. He was after his brother for revenge. His brother was a member of the akatsuki, Itachi, the one who beat me in battle. He killed his brother, went on a rampage and then left. No one understands why."

"You said something about a Naruto earlier…is that the same Naruto character in the book by Jiraiya I read?"

"In a way, it is. Naruto is the hokage, what we call a leader, of the village hidden in the leaves. There are many villages in the shinobi country, I'm from the village hidden in the stone. The man I'm looking for defected from the village hidden in the leaves a long time ago…and if I find him, I'm supposed to contact Naruto to come and help me bring him back. Naruto is busy being the leader of his village, so he sent me. There were many shinobi who thought that I was the one responsible for the damage done to the surrounding forests, when in reality it was the black fire from his sharingan. I want to clear my name among the shinobi, I don't want them to think it was my explosions that caused such destruction. Naruto promised that he would clear my name." Deidara explained.

"Hm," Sasori mulled this over, "but, I thought you wanted to leave the ninja country, so why do you care if they think it was you who destroyed the forest or not?"

"It's a matter of principle in a way…I don't want my legacy to be tarnished by my old ways. I don't go around bombing places anymore the way I used to. I've changed drastically since then, and even if the people in the ninja country won't accept me, I would still like them to understand that I am more peaceful now." Deidara's sapphire eyes glistened with tears. He blinked and a tiny teardrop rolled down his cheek. Sasori wiped it away for him gently with his thumb.

"I know they will," Sasori said, trying to comfort Deidara. "I still have a lot of questions," he added, not sure if Deidara still wanted to talk about all of this.

"I'm sure you do," Deidara said, grinning, "what else are you curious about?"

"If Naruto sent you here, then why did Kisame try to come and bring you back?"

"Well, I have permission from Naruto to be here, but not from the akatsuki. The akatsuki leader, Yahiko, does not like the idea of any of his members defecting from the ninja country. He thinks I should have left this matter alone, that this man who left is now the rest of the world's problem. But I personally want to take care of this matter, so I sought the advice of Naruto. I know Naruto has been trying to get him to come home for some time now…" Deidara's voice trailed off faintly.

"And…Kisame found us because of… _my_ chakra? But…I'm not a ninja, so how do I have a chakra network?" Sasori was utterly perplexed by this conundrum.

"Hm," Deidara shook his head, "You are a ninja…at least, you were born to be one. Your grandmother is a ninja, I sensed her chakra when I walked into that leasing office, and I sensed yours the moment I laid eyes on you as well. I'm not sure what your family is doing here or how they came to be here, but that's a question you'll have to ask your granny," Deidara explained. Sasori felt his body stiffen up. It seemed the lies from his grandmother were endless.

"So, if I have a chakra network…then can you teach me ninjutsu?" Sasori looked upon Deidara with longing in his eyes. He had dreamed of this as a child, but all his hopes of becoming a ninja had been shattered when his teacher told him there were no such thing as ninja. Hearing that he actually possessed the powerful chakra network of a ninja changed everything. A tiny flame of hope sparked within his chest, and his pulse was beating fast. He could see himself now, perfecting all types of jutsu and shocking the world with his amazing powers.

Deidara laughed and then threw an arm around Sasori, pulling him close, "I didn't expect you to ask that Danna!" he grinned, "I thought you were my master, but now it seems that you'd like things to be the other way around. I'll be your teacher, of course, hm." He snuggled his nose up against Sasori's head and then playfully rustled Sasori's red locks.

Sasori blushed, "It's not like I know of anyone else who can teach me…I mean, it would be kind of awkward asking my grandma."

"Of course I'll be your teacher," Deidara said, "and you'll be my sexy little student." Deidara flashed a lighthearted smile.

Sasori huffed, "Little?"

Deidara kissed his nose and laughed, "I'm at least a foot taller than you Danna, so yeah, you are little." Sasori rolled his eyes, but welcomed Deidara's kisses on his face. Deidara kissed his nose, cheek, forehead and chin in a tantalizingly playful tease. Each kiss tickled Sasori's skin slightly and sent delightful tremors throughout his body. It was cold in their apartment, but Sasori was warm from head to toe.

Deidara pulled away with one last sweet kiss on Sasori's cheek and then looked into his eyes with seriousness, "Sasori, do you have any other questions?…I know it must have been a lot to take in earlier."

"I think my other questions can only be answered by my grandmother, I'll have to pay her a visit soon. But for now," he paused, and looked at Deidara, feeling a heated blush upon his face, "all I want to do is kiss you…There was a moment when you were battling with Kisame that I thought you had drowned. I'm glad you didn't."

Deidara's cheeks turned rose colored and his eyes flashed with surprise, "You mean," Deidara paused and swallowed, "you were actually scared about the prospect of losing me?"

"Yeah," Sasori admitted with a tomato red face, "I mean, I know we don't know each other that well, but… I already feel like we've gotten pretty close. And I like that. I like you," his admission of his feelings for Deidara shocked even himself. He remembered how annoyed he had been with the blonde fool when he first met him a week ago…but oh how things had changed since then.

A smile unlike any that Sasori had seen before emerged on Deidara's lips. He flashed his white teeth and tiny crinkles appeared at the corner of his mouth as the smile grew wider. "I like you too," he replied before placing his lips on Sasori's, embracing them in a passionate kiss. Sasori tasted something salty in the kiss, and he opened his eyelids slightly to see that Deidara was crying. He wasn't sure if Deidara was mourning over his tragic past, or if he was just really happy to hear that Sasori liked him. Sasori hoped it was the latter. He ran his fingers through Deidara's blonde hair, and stroked his backside smoothly. Deidara's hands were in Sasori's hair, and then rubbing up along his backside and then grabbing his ass. Deidara was beginning to get risqué with his movements, but Sasori did not stop him. His heart was full of emotions, and he couldn't suppress his inhibitions any longer.

Sasori pushed against Deidara forcefully, knocking him back further on the couch so that he was lying on his back, and then straddled his legs on top of Deidara. Deidara eyed Sasori suspiciously, "oh, what's this?" he asked in a playfully innocent tune, "are you feeling naughty tonight Danna?"

Sasori responded by placing his lips forcefully against Sasori's again, opening up his mouth and pushing his tongue inside Deidara's. Their tongues danced together, tasting and exploring each other. Their chests pressed tightly together, and Sasori decided that he didn't like the fact that they were still both wearing clothes. He pulled up from the kiss and then roughly pushed Deidara's shirt up over his head, admiring his toned, muscular body. He bent back down again, the yearn to kiss those magnificently pink nipples had taken over every other urge at that moment.

He sucked and bit around Deidara's nipple, hearing pleasant husky growls from deep within Deidara' s throat. Those groans turned Sasori on, and he felt his crotch begin to throb. Deidara leaned his head back with pleasure, "ooh, yes," he moaned again. Sasori noticed the expanse of unblemished skin on Deidara's outstretched neck. He needed to fix that.

He buried his face in Deidara's neck, licking and biting, enjoying the unique taste of the sweet blonde's skin. Deidara moaned harder as Sasori continued to suckle on him, intent to leave a large mark. He finally pulled up, glancing down at the sizeable round red hickey on Deidara's neck. Perfect.

Sasori's rationality was slipping away as he continued to stare down at Deidara's luscious, sweet form. He finally pulled up his own shirt over his head, tossing it aside carelessly. He longed to feel their skin touch. He leaned down once more, pressing his chest up firmly against Deidara's, welcoming the warm touch as their skin met. Deidara grinned at him, pulling his face up to kiss Sasori. Deidara bit Sasori's bottom lip, and a mischievous laugh rattled in his throat. "So, you are feeling naughty then, aren't you?" he asked again after releasing his teeth's grip on Sasori's lip.

"Yes," Sasori finally admitted, "I'm thinking I ought to teach you who the real master of the house is."

"Oh really? Let me see then, Danna," Deidara smirked. The red blotch on his neck stood out against his pale skin. Sasori felt himself throb again.

Sasori bent down lower over Deidara's form and grazed his tongue along Deidara's chest, starting from his nipple and making his way downwards towards his crotch. A laugh escaped Deidara's lips, "oh Danna! That tickles!" he was squirming. Sasori placed a hand over both of Deidara's wrists, pinning him still. Then, he used his teeth to unzip Deidara's pants. He released his hold on Deidara for just a moment to pull off his pants. Now all that was left was Deidara's boxers. And there was a sizeable tent sticking up from the thin underwear. Sasori grinned in delight at the sight.

He rubbed his mouth along the erect member teasingly, feeling the warmth of the underwear cloth against his lips. Then he nipped at the cloth and pulled down the boxers with his teeth, slowly revealing the pulsating penis. His earlier instincts were right, Deidara's was quite large.

He pushed out his wet pink tongue and ran it along the length of the shaft, teasing the blonde further. "Oh Danna," Deidara moaned, "that feels good." He was squirming and blushing like crazy. Sasori felt his heart swoop in his chest at the sight.

Sasori placed his mouth over the tip, running his tongue across the slit and catching the pre-cum in his mouth. Then he slowly began to take in the full length of Deidara's penis, running his mouth up and down slowly at first. Deidara groaned huskily again and grabbed a handful of Sasori's red hair, thrusting his hips into Sasori's mouth. Sasori felt the taut skin pulsate in his mouth, Deidara was already getting close. Sasori began to throat him deeper and faster, moving in steady rhythm with Deidara's swaying hips. Deidara screamed loudly and yelled, "I'm close! I'm gonna cum!" Sasori held on tight to Deidara's waist, pulling him in deeper into his mouth. Deidara came, and Sasori swallowed every drop.

Deidara was panting heavily as Sasori clambered back on top of him. "Oh Danna," he said, "that was…that was heaven."

"I told you to trust your master," Sasori crooned seductively.

"And now it's the student's turn," Deidara smirked, "I have to show off my own talents." He raised his head up and kissed Sasori before pushing him back roughly. Now Sasori was the one lying half-exposed on the couch. Deidara instantly wrapped his hands around Sasori's waist and pulled off his pants and boxers in one swift, agile motion.

Deidara viewed Sasori's thick member with pleasure and lust in his blue orbs. A tiny chuckle emerged from deep within Deidara. "What's so funny?" Sasori wanted to know. He felt completely vulnerable, lying there naked and exposed to Deidara for the first time. Heat rose up to his cheeks.

"You have red pubic hair," Deidara grinned.

"Well of course I do, I'm a redhead. What did-" but the rest of his question was abruptly cut off into silence as Deidara grabbed his shaft, stroking it slowly. He licked the underside of Sasori's penis, gently caressing his balls. He stroked his tongue across Sasori's balls, which made him purr with pleasure. He could feel a coat of sweat forming on his forehead as Deidara's tongue moved up and down along his full length. His member throbbed, aching for more. But Deidara wasn't done teasing him just yet.

Deidara put the head of the penis in his mouth, and kissed it passionately. He cupped Sasori's balls in his hand and fondled them. Then Deidara licked Sasori's inner thighs, which made him laugh and sent goose bumps across his entire body. "Oh Danna," Deidara said, "you are simply pining for more, aren't you?"

"Yes, enough teasing," Sasori groaned, burying his face into a pillow and biting into it.

Deidara smirked, "I think I'd like to play a little longer actually." He went back to kissing Sasori's inner thigh, and then he began to bite it, taking in a large area of skin. Sasori felt a tingle course through his legs and pulse through his penis. When he released, there was a red and purple swollen hickey. "It's only fair," Deidara said, "you marked me, so I thought I should mark you." Sasori groaned, wanting desperately for Deidara to grab his penis again.

Instead, Deidara pulled up and kissed along Sasori's neck and jaw line. "You smell so good, and taste even better," he whispered into Sasori's ear.

"Mmm," Sasori moaned. His member throbbed again, pushing up against Deidara's body.

"I'll make my way back down there, don't you worry," Deidara said with a wink. He kissed Sasori's nose, then his chin. Then he licked around Sasori's nipple, and stopped there for a moment to nibble on the pink, hard nub. Sasori pulsated his member against Deidara once more as his nipple was met with pleasant tingles from Deidara's suckling. Deidara smiled as he pecked Sasori's body with tender kisses. His lips brushed up against Sasori's stomach, then made their way back to his crotch. He licked the area above Sasori's penis and then finally placed his tongue back on the head of the throbbing member, gently pushing against the slit.

Sasori's head stretched back and a deep moan tumbled forward as Deidara finally placed his full length in his mouth. The feeling was warm and tight, as Deidara deep throated him and began to move up and down. Sasori's hips rocked upwards, thrusting his length further into the blonde's mouth. Deidara moaned as he sucked on Sasori, and this made Sasori go wild. The internal moan sent a vibration through his penis and shivers up his spine. Sasori grabbed Deidara's head with both hands, and shoved himself a little deeper into Deidara's mouth. Deidara didn't seem to mind, in fact, his moans became louder and deeper. Deidara began to move faster, and Sasori could feel himself getting closer to the tipping point. He was about to burst.

"Oh Deidara," he cried, "right there!" He came, feeling the intensity of the orgasm as it resonated throughout his body. Deidara swallowed it all loudly, gulping and then slowly releasing his hold on Sasori.

Deidara clambered back onto Sasori and laid his head against Sasori's chest. Sasori brushed Deidara's honey blonde hair back and tucked it behind his ears. His chest was still rising and falling fast as he took in sharp breaths. Deidara wrapped an arm around Sasori and squeezed, "How was that Danna?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"Amazing," Sasori replied, "A+ work." He laughed.

Deidara laughed too, then lifted his head up and placed a kiss on Sasori's chin. He nuzzled his face back on Sasori's chest, inhaling the musky scent of Sasori. "Next time, you can enter me," he said.

Sasori's heart fluttered and his crotch throbbed again at the thought. "Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yeah Danna. I know we were going to take things slow…but I doubt we can do that anymore," Deidara let a low laugh come forth. Sasori chuckled too.

"Yeah," he agreed, "I just couldn't resist you any longer."

"What did you in?" Deidara wondered, "was it my good looks or my relentless teasing?"

"Both," Sasori admitted.

Deidara giggled at his reply, but then his demeanor changed slightly. "Hey Danna?"

"Yeah?"

"You…you don't think of me differently, do you? I mean, now that you know that I'm a ninja…and that I used to do dreadful things…" Deidara's voice trailed off.

"Of course not," Sasori kissed the blonde's forehead and rubbed his hand through his hair, "I just know you better now, which is a good thing. I want to get to know you more. And I prefer honesty," Sasori told him.

Deidara smiled at his reply, but there was still a shade of worry deep in his azure irises. Sasori kissed the top of his head again, "Just be yourself, be truthful with me and all will be fine. I can't be angry for you about something you did in your past." Sasori tried to assuage that worry, to let Deidara know that things were okay now.

"Okay then," Deidara said. He rested his face back on Sasori's chest, and Sasori stroked his hair gently. His chest rose and fell slowly, and he watched the blonde's head dip and fall.

It had been a thoroughly overwhelming day, and the weight of it all finally caught up to Sasori's body. His eyelids were heavy and his body ached to rest. He let sleep take over him, with Deidara laying across his body for warmth.


	8. Chapter 8: Puppet Masters

Sasori felt a pull on his heartstrings as he glanced up at the faint pink tinted home before him. Paint peeled off the corners and small cracks were seen running up the length of the two story abode. The front door creaked unpleasantly as Sasori pushed it open. His heartbeat quickened as it always did when he stepped into his grandmother's house. The presence of his parent's still lingered in the air; he could still catch their scent in the musk of the house if he breathed in deeply enough. That thought alone usually turned him away from the place, keeping his visits brief. But today, that would not be the case. He had a purpose in coming here.

Granny Chiyo poked her head out from the corner upon hearing Sasori's muffled footsteps. Surprise lit up her face, "Sasori? But next month's rent isn't due for another 2 weeks."

"Yeah," Sasori cleared his throat, "I came for another reason."

"Oh!" Chiyo perked up, "well come in dear, I'll make some tea."

"That would be lovely," Sasori said. He didn't quite know how to put his thoughts into words yet. Maybe some tea would calm his rapid heart rate.

Sasori sat down on the blue sofa, unable to push aside the memories of his childhood. He used to sit on his parents lap on the same couch. They would read stories to him here, letting him turn the pages at his own pace so he could admire the pictures. Sasori heard the tinkling of teacups and the whistling of a tea kettle in the kitchen. He couldn't bring himself to walk into the kitchen to help her; too many memories haunted that place.

A flashback of Sunday mornings with his grandmother in the kitchen flew across his mind. It used to be their tradition to get up early and make blueberry pancakes on Sundays. Young Sasori loved to mix the batter while his grandmother hummed a tune and washed the blueberries. Then his parents would trudge into the kitchen, rubbing the sleep from their eyes. His dad would sneak a few blueberries into his mouth before they were added to the batter. Sasori always found it amusing how impatient his dad was. It was a trait he had inherited.

Sasori shook his head to rid himself of the long forgotten happy memory. Chiyo walked into the room holding two delicate cups full of warm tea. Sasori took his cup and thanked her, then downed half of the tea in one gulp. The warmth spread throughout his body, awakening his nerves. It was just the thing he needed.

"So, what brings you here today?" Chiyo asked him. Her eyes were already hardened in defense. Sasori never came to make small talk.

Sasori closed his eyes and began, "I know what I am now," he said solemnly.

"Oh?" Chiyo sounded confused. Her denial made his blood boil. How she could lie to him for so long was beyond his understanding.

"I'm a ninja, and you are too. You hid this truth from me for my whole life…why?" his voice had raised another pitch and he nearly knocked the teacup from his hand. He set it down on the coffee table in front of him, keenly aware that his hands were shaking with fury.

Chiyo did not look surprised, her eyes reflected sadness. "How did you find out?"

"The new apprentice I hired is a shinobi, he told me," Sasori responded curtly.

"Hmm," Chiyo narrowed her eyes, "I had my suspicions about him…well anyways, I'm sorry you had to find out that way."

"Were you ever going to tell me?"

"Sasori..." her eyes were drenched with tears to come.

"Well!?" Sasori shouted, unable to keep his voice calm any longer. The rage spilled forth, emanating from deep within as he thought back to all the lies from his childhood.

Chiyo snapped a vicious look at Sasori, and tears began to leak forth from her dark eyes, "We did it to protect you! Your parents and I left the land of the ninja behind us, and came here because it is safer for you. I had to lie to protect you! I hoped you would never find out about it…"

"You think that lying is protecting me? Protecting me from what?" Sasori's fists were balled up, he felt like punching the couch. The little restraint he had held him back.

"The land of the ninja was plagued with war. Your parents and I were war heroes. We battled for so long during the 3rd shinobi war…I know that must not mean much to you, since you have limited knowledge of the history of the ninja. But please trust me when I say that it was a horrific war, I still wake up shaking from the nightmares. Your parents loved you so much, and did not want that lifestyle for you. We were granted permission from one of the leaders to secretly leave the land of the ninja as long as we led quiet, peaceful lives among the rest of the world. We did it to protect you." Chiyo's words were firm but the tears streaming down her cheeks revealed her heartbreak.

"So my parents agreed to this too?" Sasori asked.

"Yes, it was your mother's idea." Chiyo confessed. "Your father and I agreed with her that it was for the best. We were tired of fighting an endless battle."

"And…did my parents really die in a car accident?" Sasori looked up at his grandmother, and stared straight into her eyes. He saw the answer before she said it.

"No," Sasori's heart fell apart in his chest, "They went back to the ninja country. There was an urgent matter that they needed to assist with. They lost their lives in battle against the nine tailed fox demon."

"Nine tailed fox…" Sasori's question trailed off into silence. He felt ashamed at the tears rolling down his face, he quickly wiped them away and tried to stay stoic.

"Yes, it may sound strange, but there are large tailed beasts with lots of chakra in the land of the shinobi…in fact, the reason the shinobi had to go into hiding is mostly due to the existence of the tailed beasts. One of them went rampant throughout the village hidden in the leaves, and your parents were summoned by the 4th hokage to help stop the beast." Chiyo explained.

"I-I read something about the nine tailed fox in one of the ninja stories by Jiraiya…in his story it was sealed inside a person named Naruto," Sasori said. He was trying to wrap his mind around the fact that theses tailed beasts actually existed.

"That's right…Jiraiya's story is part fiction and part reality. The nine tailed fox was indeed sealed inside a baby boy named Naruto the night that your parents died. They helped to steer the beast away from the village, and in doing so, saved thousands. Your parents were skilled puppeteers, much like yourself. But their puppets were life-size and used in battle. They were expertly skilled in the art of shinobi puppetry." Chiyo explained with a twinkle in her eye.

"Are you also a ninja puppet master?"

"Yes," Chiyo admitted, "I am. But I haven't created anything with these old hands in years."

"What did you do with all your puppets?" Sasori asked.

Chiyo smiled curtly and set down her tea on the table. "Follow me," was all she said as she got up and led Sasori out into the small backyard. There was a garden shed in the back, old and rickety. As a child, Sasori was never allowed into the shed because his grandmother told him he could get cut on a nail or get a bad splinter.

Chiyo opened the squeaky door to the shed, and Sasori finally got a glimpse into the contents. Wooden puppets, all life-sized, were laid out carefully in the shed. A table in the back was strewn with gears and gadgets for puppet making. Sasori's mouth dropped open.

"These are your ninja puppets?" he asked, carefully stepping inside to touch one.

"Yes, but be careful. They have ninja weapons stored inside. They are manipulated with chakra threads." Chiyo said.

Sasori admired the craftsmanship immensely. He felt his heart hammer and drum happily in his chest as he took in all the tools and gadgets neatly lain out on the table. A longing took over his body, he simply had to learn the art of ninja puppetry. He turned to his grandmother, "can you teach me?"

Chiyo's eyes widened with shock, "You want me to teach you how to create and manipulate ninja puppets?"

Sasori nodded enthusiastically. His parents may have died, but he felt there was still a chance he could reconnect with his grandmother. Perhaps he had held a grudge against her long enough. After all, she was only trying to do what was best for him as a child. He knew she truly loved him.

Chiyo smiled, "of course," she replied. Sasori felt the pent up anger he had been holding for years release from his body. He finally felt ready to forgive his grandmother, and create new, happy memories.

…..

"There you are, I've been waiting for you, hm," Deidara jumped up from the couch when he saw Sasori return home from his visit to his grandmother. "How did it go? You were there for several hours."

"We had a lot to talk about. And she's teaching me ninja puppetry," Sasori said. He was grinning from ear to ear. There was still so much for him to learn, and he couldn't wait.

"What?" Deidara was taken aback, "But I thought I was going to be your shinobi teacher?"

"You can still teach me other things, there's a big learning curve for me. I know most ninja enter the academy at age 6 or 7. I'm several years behind," Sasori said while walking into the kitchen. He began searching the fridge for something to make for dinner.

Deidara came up behind Sasori and squeezed him in a hug from behind, "That's right," he agreed, "I'll still teach you chakra manipulation and ninjutsu. There's a lot for my sexy student to learn." He kissed Sasori's cheek.

"When can we have our first lesson?" Sasori wanted to know. His mind was no longer on the food in the refrigerator.

"Hm, I was going to teach you a few things today, but you got back later than I expected. I require food first," Deidara said with a smirk. He reached over Sasori into the freezer and pulled out a box of frozen chicken and shook it in front of Sasori's face. Sasori rolled his eyes and shook his head, then took the box of frozen chicken and began to prepare it.

…

Deidara and Sasori distanced themselves from town in a small clearing in the woods for Sasori's first lesson. Deidara explained the finer points of chakra control and then demonstrated by concentrating chakra in his feet and walking up a tree. Sasori watched in amazement.

"Now," Deidara smirked from atop the tree, "it's your turn."

"You want me to walk up a tree?" Sasori asked, raising an eyebrow. The sun was beginning to set behind Deidara's form, but Sasori could clearly see the smug expression on his face.

"Yeah Danna, you can do it. Feel the chakra build up in your feet. It will take some time, but I'll be up here waiting," he laid down lazily against a tree branch, "when you make it up here, I have a surprise for you," he winked seductively.

"What kind of a surprise?" Sasori wanted to know.

"Tsk tsk," Deidara wagged a finger at him, "you'll have to reach the top to find out." Sasori rolled his eyes but then began his practice. He closed his eyes, searching for the faint hint of chakra within his body. He was still learning how to detect it's presence. Then, he concentrated on his feet, trying to will the chakra to flow down his body and encompass his feet.

After a few moments of his silent meditation, he began to walk up the tree, placing his feet precariously on the bark. He made it only half a foot up before falling back to the ground. Deidara watched from above but did not give any suggestions. Deidara had warned him that in learning ninjutsu it took a lot of individual practice. One couldn't simply learn how to become a ninja from reading directions in a book. It took hard work, patience and perseverance.

With each step Sasori took, he learned from his mistakes. He could feel the chakra flowing through his body, and he focused more intently on moving that chakra to the soles of his feet. He continued to walk up the tree, but would continue to fall down after a few steps. He made it up a fourth of the length, then he was able to walk up a bit farther. Soon, he was able to walk up half the tree's length before falling into the dirt once more. Progress was slow, but also tangible. Each time he walked up, he focused on Deidara's blonde hair. The desire to reach out and grab that hair gave him the determination to keep trying again and again.

The sun had finally set, enshrouding them in darkness. Deidara could still make out the faint illumination of Deidara's blonde strands, blowing lightly in the cool breeze. He eyed it once more while feeling his feet flow with chakra. He walked up the tree slowly, focusing his energy on his feet.

He made it past the half point and felt his heart beat faster. He was going to make it this time, he was sure. He closed his eyes to keep himself from distractions, and thought only about the chakra energy in his feet. When he opened his eyes again, he was level with Deidara, still standing sideways on the bark of the tree.

"Yes!" Sasori shouted. Deidara smiled and grabbed his shirt, pulling him up on the branch.

"Good work," Deidara said. He was still holding a fistful of Sasori's shirt. He pulled Sasori in closer. "That technique took me an entire day to learn. I'm impressed that you did it in just a few hours."

"So, what's my prize?" Sasori asked, desire thick in his voice.

Deidara flashed a sly smile before pulling Sasori into him forcefully. He crushed his lips against Sasori's, letting his tongue explore inside Sasori's mouth. Then he parted, panting heavily. "I'm glad you asked," he said as he bent his body down.

Sasori leaned himself against the trunk of the tree as Deidara undid his pants and pulled them down with ease. The moonlight bounced off of Sasori's erect member. Deidara began by licking up the length slowly, and then mouthing it entirely. He moaned as he worked, slurping up the pre-cum and tightening the muscles in his mouth. The warmth and tightness of Deidara's lips against his taut member made Sasori's heart pump fast, sweat glistening upon his brow. Sasori had never done anything naughty like this in the open woods before, and he felt a sense of heightened excitement because of this.

Sasori's body began to shake, and he let out a low groan as he neared climax. Deidara moved faster, sucking in harder and deeper. Sasori couldn't hold back any longer. He let out a loud moan and felt a shiver run up his spine as he came. Euphoric trumpets sang in his mind as the pleasant sensations of his orgasm took over all other feeling in his body.

Deidara stood up, wiping his mouth and grinning. "Mmm," he purred, "You definitely deserved that little treat, my student." He kissed Sasori lightly, curving his lips into a smile. Sasori smiled back into the kiss, still feeling slightly out of breath.

"Now, let's see if you can walk back down," Deidara said as he jumped off the branch swiftly and ran down the tree. Sasori blinked, surprised by Deidara's quickness. He focused his chakra energy back in his feet and made his way down the tree slowly. He did not falter or fall, he made it down the tree successfully. He punched the air when he reached the ground, he was glad to have mastered his first ninja lesson with Deidara.

Deidara locked his fingers with Sasori's and the two of them walked home, chatting about ninjutsu and chakra techniques. When they were close to home, Sasori wondered, "when are you going to go looking for the Uchiha's brother?"

"Well, he's been cloaking himself and his chakra pretty well, I haven't been able to detect him thus far. But I do know he is the cause of the black fires in this town. The next time a fire appears, I'll be ready," Deidara's voice had changed from his usual sexy and silly demeanor to a more cold, bitter tone.

"There's no way to find him unless he creates another fire?" Sasori asked.

"Oh, there are other ways. I'll be focusing on my search for him starting tomorrow actually. I mean, I'll still help out around the shop, but afterwards, I'll have to begin my search. And then maybe later we can have our next lesson," Deidara said. There was still a hint of resentment behind his words as he spoke about searching for the rogue ninja.

"Yeah, that's okay, I understand," Sasori said, "finding him is more important than teaching me, our lessons can wait."

Deidara blinked at Sasori, seeming to come out of a daze. He kissed Sasori on the cheek and squeezed his hand. Sasori looked at him, "What was that for?" he asked.

"Well, you're just so understanding…I like that about you," Deidara said.

Sasori smiled, not sure what to say. He wasn't used to flattery. Deidara began to hum a tune mindlessly, seeming to forget about his imminent search for the rogue ninja. Sasori laughed at him, taking a mental snap shot of his gorgeous figure. It had been an amazing day, a day that Sasori never wanted to forget.


	9. Chapter 9: Closer Bonds

Over the next month, Sasori learned as much as he could from Deidara and Chiyo. Chakra control and manipulation, creation of puppets and puppet gear, and use of various weapons were all topics of the many lessons he took up with his masters. While at the art shop, his mind would constantly wander to the topic he had just learned. During slow hours at the shop, he would practice controlling his small puppets with chakra threads or fight Deidara with small wooden rods that they pretended were kunai.

While Sasori learned all of these amazing ninja techniques, he couldn't help but feel more excited and happy with each passing day. He had finally reconnected his bond with his grandmother, their relationship seemed to pick up exactly where it had left off. When he wasn't learning about puppet gears or chakra thread control, they would talk and reminisce about old times over a cup of tea or lemon muffins. Sasori even brought Deidara over to his grandmother's house one Sunday morning to make blueberry pancakes. Chiyo had smiled warmly at Deidara, and laughed full heartedly at his jokes.

Sasori also enjoyed the company of his handsome roommate and close friend Deidara. The two had gotten closer, trying to slow down their relationship so that they could get to know each other better. Deidara asked Sasori lots of questions about his past, and Sasori reciprocated his curiosity. They spoke in length about their favorite music, books and hobbies. They argued over their art, although both respected and appreciated the other's opinions. Deidara preferred a more flashy, fleeting form of artwork while Sasori believed art was eternal and everlasting.

Although the two had gotten close, they never broached the subject of their relationship. Sasori was curious what Deidara would do once he finished his mission. He feared that Deidara would go back to the ninja country and leave him forever. He wasn't sure if he wanted to talk about the future with Deidara just yet. He didn't know how to approach the subject, and he was grateful that Deidara never brought it up. Deidara would sometimes hint that they were more than just 'friends with benefits' by saying things like "let's go out on a date tonight" or "I'm faithful only to you Danna" (a comment that made Sasori very happy indeed). However, they never spoke about officially being boyfriends, and Sasori was beginning to fret a lot more about the future as each day went by.

Another worrisome thought at the back of Sasori's mind was the way in which Deidara's mood changed whenever he went looking for the rogue ninja. Deidara began his search by sending out a small clay rat around the town. The clay rat came back hours later with no sign of any other ninja within the town. Deidara had cursed and smashed the rat with his foot before storming out the door. Deidara also flew up high on his clay bird every other night with his scope and searched the town endlessly for the rogue. So far, nothing had come up. He hadn't even located a trace or hint of the rogue ninja. Sasori could sense Deidara's distress and anger, and he knew it was beginning to reach boiling point. Deidara was desperate to find this rogue ninja. Sasori suspected there was something he was still hiding from him about his mission, but Sasori was hesitant to ask Deidara any questions about his mission. Deidara often snapped back with fury anytime his mission was mentioned lately.

Kisame had not come back to fight Deidara as Sasori had feared. However, Deidara was visited by another member of the akatsuki just a few days after the encounter with Kisame. Sasori had gone out for groceries that evening, and when he came back to his apartment, he heard voices from within. Curious, he leaned his ear against the door and caught just a glimpse of the remaining conversation between the two.

"So, is that what you really want Deidara?" it was a woman's voice, "and you're sure about this? You don't think it's too early to tell?"

"Yes, I am sure," Deidara's voice came back, cool and collected.

"Alright then, I will speak with Yahiko and inform you of his decision. Good luck with your mission," replied the woman's silky smooth voice. Sasori then heard the sound of footsteps shuffling to the door. He quickly pulled out his key and opened the door before either of them realized he was listening in on the conversation.

Later that evening, he heard from Deidara that the visitor's name was Konan. She had come to tell Deidara that the leader of the akatsuki, Yahiko, had given him permission to carry out his mission. He said that if Deidara was willing to take on Kisame, then it must truly be important to him. Sasori was glad that Deidara imparted this knowledge to him, but he knew from the snippet of conversation he had heard that Deidara purposefully left something out. Not wanting to reveal that he had eavesdropped, Sasori kept silent. He figured that Deidara probably had a good reason for keeping a few secrets from him. Sasori himself didn't tell Deidara everything.

…

Sasori was sweeping the floor to his art shop on a Friday afternoon, preparing to close for the weekend. Deidara had left a few minutes early, searching again for the rogue ninja. He had decided to take a more direct approach, he was going to ask the citizens of the town if they had seen anyone or anything suspicious. Sasori had his doubts that this would work, and he hoped Deidara wouldn't come back in a rage.

The tinkling of the door bell indicated that Deidara had finally returned. Sasori poked his head from around the corner, he had just finished his sweep of the entire floor. Deidara was beaming.

"So, did you find something?" Sasori asked, walking up to the front to turn the lock on the door.

Deidara grinned wider, "I met a woman who swore she saw a suspicious man with red eyes the other day! He was walking in the marketplace, speaking with a man who ran the vegetable booth. She told me that she saw the man at the booth hand over three tomatoes to the strange guy with red eyes. The man with red eyes just walked away, and didn't pay. The man at the vegetable stand was totally confused and looked dazed!"

"What?" Sasori was lost.

"The Uchiha use ocular powers, they specialize in genjutsu. The ninja I'm after must have used his genjutsu on that man to get free tomatoes hm!" Deidara cried.

"So, he is still in this town then?" Sasori asked.

"Yeah! He is!" Deidara was over the moon. Sasori felt his heart drop. If Deidara was getting close to finding this rogue, then that could mean that their time together was limited.

"What are you going to do about it?" Sasori asked.

"Nothing for now, it's late out and the market isn't open. Tomorrow I will go and question the vegetable man and see if he has any leads about where the Uchiha is hiding out." Deidara said. Sasori nodded and began to wipe off the counter. He was deep in thought, wondering if Deidara would close in on the rogue ninja tomorrow…

The feel of Deidara's arms wrapping around his waist jolted him from his worries. He turned around to see Deidara's heavy lidded blue orbs, full of lust. Deidara kissed Sasori on the nose, and then swept up his lips in his own. It was a sweet, innocent kiss that was parted after only a few seconds. Deidara stared into Sasori's eyes and said, "we should do something special tonight."

"Yeah? Like what?" Sasori's heart was fluttering fast like a tiny bird trying to escape a cage.

"I know I can be a pain sometimes…and I want to make up for that. I'm going to go upstairs and cook something special for you. And then," Deidara paused, holding in his breath. "I want to give you the most unforgettable night of your life." Deidara winked and released his hold on Sasori's waist. Sasori felt his heart thrumming against his eardrum and his brain seemed numb. The effect Deidara had on him would probably never subside. Every word, kiss and embrace from Deidara still made Sasori's body explode with emotions and unparalleled sensations.

…

Sasori quickened his pace with cleaning up shop so that he could rush upstairs to his sexy roommate. He entered the place and took in the decadent smell of something truly delicious. He was shocked to see that Deidara had prepared two bowls of curry chicken and rice. Sasori had no idea how Deidara had prepared the meal- he had only ever seen Deidara lazily pour cereal before this.

One bite of the food took Sasori's taste buds to heaven. It wasn't too spicy, it was just right. "Mmm, Deidara," Sasori said between mouthfuls, "this is amazing."

Deidara beamed, "I had to look up a recipe…but it actually turned out pretty great hm!" Deidara and Sasori ate their food while chatting about the day's events from earlier. Deidara's pottery class was continuously growing larger, and business was booming as a result. Sasori complimented him on his hard work and Deidara smiled proudly.

When their bowls had emptied, Deidara swiftly got up and grabbed them. Sasori was surprised by his initiative to clean, usually Sasori had to nag him relentlessly to wash or clean anything. Once the dishes were clean, Deidara revealed the chocolate peppermints he had bought for dessert. "Yum!" Sasori popped one into his mouth, letting the smooth chocolate dissolve. "You are full of surprises tonight Deidara."

Deidara placed a chocolate in his own mouth and replied, "just wait and see, there's more." His voice was heavy with flirtatious seduction. Sasori felt his stomach flop in anticipation of what would happen next.

Deidara munched on a few more chocolates before turning to Sasori and giving him a sloppy kiss. The taste of chocolate peppermint was strong. Sasori opened his mouth to let Deidara's tongue dance with his own. Then Deidara parted and announced, "this couch isn't the right place. Let's go to the bedroom."

Sasori followed him there, his hands were already beginning to sweat. They had partaken in oral sex countless times, but Sasori knew tonight would be different.

Deidara started to undress Sasori, slowly and with delicate fingers. His smooth fingers crawled up Sasori's belly and chest as he lifted Sasori's shirt over his head. Sasori felt goose bumps rise along his arms and neck from Deidara's soft touch. Deidara grabbed a handful of Sasori's red hair and placed kisses along Sasori's neck and jaw line. His other hand was undoing Sasori's pant buttons. A muted thud was heard as Sasori's jeans hit the floor. He was now standing in nothing but his boxers, defenseless in Deidara's grasp.

Deidara bit his bottom lip and looked Sasori up and down. "Mmm, delicious," he purred. "Your body is truly amazing, hm." Sasori felt a fierce blush crawl up his skin. Deidara bent over and kissed Sasori's chest, moving his tongue in slow circles across his skin. Sasori held onto the bed frame of the bunk bed, trying to stabilize himself against the flood of sensations coursing through his body.

Deidara's mouth swooped down and landed on Sasori's nipple. His tongue jutted out, flicking the hard red nub, causing Sasori to moan. Sasori pulled Deidara's blonde hair out of his face and held it tightly in his hands, tugging gently. Deidara began to suck harder on the nipple, and Sasori groaned again. He felt his crotch beginning to throb. He looked down and saw a sizeable tent in his boxers.

Deidara lifted up and stared at Sasori's chest. His nipple was red and swollen with the promise of a new hickey forming. Deidara smiled at his work. He then cupped Sasori's ass with both his hands and placed his face a mere inch away from Sasori's. "You are too sexy for your own good," Deidara breathed.

Sasori felt his breath hitch, "so are you," he replied. He bridged the gap between them and pushed his lips up against Deidara's. He was craving every touch and every feeling. He wanted Deidara's body to be pressed up against his own, the desire was overwhelming. As they kissed up against the bed frame, Sasori scrambled to undress Deidara. He wasted no time in unbuttoning his pants and throwing off his shirt carelessly. He was ravenous with an insatiable yearning for Deidara.

Deidara could sense Sasori's desperateness, "Oh, impatient are we?" he crooned.

"I've always been an impatient man," Sasori replied before crushing his lips against Deidara's once more.

Deidara pulled away, taunting him. "Patience my friend," he said. He wagged a finger in front of Sasori's face and stepped back several feet. Sasori was still leaning up against the bed, arms outstretched and waiting for Deidara to return. But Deidara continued to walk backwards, farther away from Sasori.

"Where are you going?" Sasori demanded.

Deidara smirked and disappeared behind the bathroom door. Sasori sighed and sat on the bottom bunk bed. His erection was still throbbing.

A minute later, Deidara opened the door. He was completely naked and had taken the half pony tail out of his hair, framing his handsome face with beautiful blonde strands. He was holding a bottle of lubricant, one that Sasori had never seen before. Deidara must have purchased it specifically for tonight. Sasori felt his pulse quicken at the sight of Deidara's gorgeous naked body.

"Come here," Sasori said, pulling his finger out and beckoning Deidara forward. Deidara did as he was told, walking slowly and swaying his hips back and forth seductively. "What do you have there?" Sasori asked, eyeing the bottle of lubricant.

"It's cherry flavored," Deidara said, opening the bottle. He then pushed Sasori back roughly, and Sasori fell onto his bed. Deidara wasted no time straddling himself on top of Sasori.

Then Deidara turned the bottle upside down and squeezed, releasing the liquid onto Sasori's body in a straight line from his chest to his crotch, just above his boxers. Sasori laughed as the cold liquid hit his stomach. "Hey," he said, "you didn't warn me."

Deidara paid this comment no mind. He rubbed his hands up against Sasori, massaging his chest and belly with the thick lubricant. As the liquid stroked across Sasori's skin, he felt a pleasant warming sensation. "This lubricant heats up with touch, how does that feel hm?" Deidara asked.

"Wow, it's amazing," Sasori leaned his head back into his pillow, feeling a tingling sensation as the warmth spread over his chest and stomach. All the stress he felt melted away as Deidara massaged him with soothing fingers.

Then Deidara began to lick around Sasori's chest again. "Mmm," he hummed as he lapped up the cherry lubricant. The feel of Deidara's hard tongue grazing against his warm skin made Sasori's erection pulsate again. Desire coursed through his veins.

Deidara leaned forward and pressed his chest against Sasori's, rubbing the lubricant on himself. He embraced Sasori in a passionate kiss, their chests sliding under each other from the slippery liquid. Sasori could taste the cherry on his lips. His manhood throbbed upwards once more, desperate to be released. Deidara pulled back and raised his eyebrows at Sasori. Sasori's erection was pressed up firmly against Deidara's legs.

"Hm, looks like your getting quite excited," he said. He then slithered down Sasori's chest, and bit the top of Sasori's boxers with his teeth. Slowly, he pulled down the material, revealing Sasori's large and throbbing erection.

"Unf," Sasori groaned loudly, his hips were shaking in anticipation. He was desperate for Deidara's touch on his member.

Deidara complied, licking his wet tongue up along the length of Sasori's shaft. Sasori purred with pleasure, the feeling was intoxicating. Deidara eyed him with passion as he grabbed the bottle of cherry lubricant. He poured it out on Sasori's penis, and the initial coolness caused Sasori to scream and bite his lower lip. Deidara grasped Sasori's member and rubbed the liquid up and down along the length, making sure to also include his balls. As he continued to tug at Sasori's member, the warmth began to emanate from the lubricant. The feeling was incredibly marvelous, and Sasori felt his brain go numb with pleasure.

Sasori wanted to return the favor. "Come here," he moaned, grabbing Deidara's free arm. Sasori scooted his body on the bed so that his side was pressed up against the wall. Then he tugged on Deidara's arm again, and Deidara pulled his body up on the bed, parallel to Sasori's but in the opposite facing direction. Sasori was faced with Deidara's length, and he placed his mouth around the tip, circling his tongue over the top.

Deidara began to moan as Sasori took in his full length in his mouth, sucking fervently. Deidara did not falter his grasp on Sasori's penis. He continued to stroke it in a sensual, passionate manner. Sasori's feet curled and his muscles tightened. He was getting close.

At that moment, Deidara released his grip on Sasori's member and sat up as best as he could, careful not to hit his head on the ceiling of the bunk bed. Deidara had pulled his own penis out of Sasori's mouth. Sasori stared up at him, confused. Deidara pointed up, "we should use my bed for what's next," he said in a low purr. Sasori didn't need telling twice.

Deidara grabbed the bottle of lube and the two of them raced to the top bunk. Sasori felt his heart hammer against his chest. Sasori laid down on his backside again and Deidara rubbed more lubricant on his penis, coating every inch of him. Sasori felt shivers run up his spine as the cool liquid was rubbed along his shaft. Then Deidara handed the bottle to Sasori, blushing fiercely as he said, "put some on your finger…and then you can start to prep me."

Deidara could barely think straight. He had been waiting for this moment for so long. He rubbed a generous amount of the liquid on his hands and then sat up. He kissed Deidara fully on the mouth, opening up their lips and embracing their tongues in another fight for control. As he kissed Deidara, he slowly placed one finger inside his back opening, feeling the tight muscles close around him. He pushed his finger in and out, continuing his passionate kiss with Deidara. Deidara moaned harder into the kiss, indicating that Sasori place another finger inside him. Sasori complied, hearing another low growl emanate from within Deidara. Sasori then placed a third finger inside, opening up the hole wider in preparation.

Deidara pulled back from their kiss and panted heavily, "I'm ready Danna."

Those words rattled inside Sasori's brain, exploding like fireworks. Sasori said down on the creaking bed and leaned up against the wall with a pillow behind him, then beckoned Deidara forward. Deidara slowly sat on top of him, bringing his opened hole over Sasori's lubricated and pulsing erection. Sasori let Deidara take his time, easing the penis in slowly. Deidara moaned deeply as he took in the full length, sitting on top of Sasori with his legs outstretched. He wrapped his arms around Sasori's neck and pulled him into a breathy kiss.

Then Deidara began to thrust his hips up and down, slowly at first. Sasori watched as his penis was brought in and out of Deidara's hole. Sasori moved his hips in rhythm with Deidara's, careful not to thrust too deep yet. Deidara's eyes were closed, he was lost in ecstasy. "Mmm, yes Danna," he whispered.

Sasori pushed himself in a little deeper, pushing up his legs against Deidara's ass. Deidara grunted and opened his eyes, which were full of crazed desire. Deidara grabbed a tuft of Sasori's red hair and tugged on it. He moved his body faster, and cried, "More Danna, that feels good hm!"

Sasori obeyed, shoving his penis in and moving his hips faster to keep up with Deidara's quickening pace. Deidara bit his lower lip and his hair was flying around madly as he swayed up and down and back and forth. Sasori felt Deidara's muscles tighten around his member, and a renewed warmth spread throughout his entire body. He was breathing fast now, and sweat clung to his brow, trickling down on the side of his face. He propelled his body upwards, thrusting deep inside of Deidara. Deidara screamed with delight as Sasori hit his g-spot. "Oh Danna! Right there! Do it again!" Deidara's cheeks were flushed crimson.

Sasori smirked and thrust himself back to the same spot, causing Deidara's erection to throb once more between them. Deidara let out another yell of bliss. His hands were now on Sasori's backside, and his fingernails dug into Sasori's skin, scratching and clawing as he reached close to an orgasm. Sasori felt his own member pulsate inside of Deidara, he too was getting close.

Sasori had one hand on Deidara's waist, holding him steady. He placed the other hand around Deidara's penis and began to stroke it. He felt the tautness of Deidara's muscles, he could sense that Deidara was very close. He hit Deidara's g-spot again, and felt himself almost lose control. Deidara screamed once more, "I'm almost there Danna!"

"Me too," Sasori growled. He squeezed his grip slightly on the blonde's penis and then thrust into his g-spot once more, feeling his body shake with ecstasy as he finally came. Deidara's body quivered on top of him and his head was thrown back in elation as he too hit his orgasm. Sasori filled Deidara up and Deidara burst his ejaculate onto Sasori's stomach.

Deidara's head was still bent backwards, he was panting heavily and sweat gleamed upon his chest, his hands were outstretched on Sasori's shoulders. Sasori entwined his fingers with Deidara's and pulled him forwards. Deidara smiled widely, and sat up slightly so that Sasori's now limp member could slide out. Then Deidara sat back on his lap and stared into Sasori's eyes. Sasori stared back, he couldn't hide the wide smile that spread across his lips.

"That was definitely unforgettable," Sasori said, still trying to catch his breath.

Deidara winked and squeezed Sasori's hands, "I'm glad. You were amazing." He leaned forward and kissed Sasori lightly.

"We're a mess," Sasori commented. With the lubricant and the ejaculate spread across his belly, Sasori was both sticky and slimy. Deidara rubbed a finger across the wet mess and laughed.

"Well, we can get in the bath together." He said before licking off the goo from his finger. "you still taste good to me though," he added in a playful tune.

…..

After a relaxing and seductive bath together, the two of them laid back down on Deidara's bed together, wrapped up in each other's warmth. Sasori cuddled Deidara from behind, placing his arm around Deidara's waist and his leg over on top of Deidara's. Deidara formed the little spoon to Sasori, even though Deidara was taller.

Sasori felt a pounding in his ears from the anxiety he felt over the question he could no longer contain hidden, "Hey Deidara?"

"Yes Danna?"

"What…I mean," he cleared his throat, trying to get rid of the uneasy lump there, "what are we? What are you to me?"

Deidara turned his head around to face Sasori, "I'm exclusive with you," he said.

"I know that, but what does that make us? I mean, when you finish your mission…are you leaving forever? I really like you Deidara…I'd like to try to form a meaningful relationship with you. I'd like you to be my boyfriend." An intense red blush covered Sasori's face as he admitted this. But he had to know where this was going, he didn't want his heart to be crushed.

"You want me to be your boyfriend?" Deidara asked back with disbelief. Sasori still couldn't tell how he felt about all of this, and that irked him.

"Never mind, I know we haven't talked about this yet, maybe I shouldn't have brought this up," Sasori shook his head in embarrassment.

"No Danna, you misunderstand. I want to be your boyfriend. I want a relationship with you too," Deidara was smiling brightly. Sasori felt his heart swoop in his chest.

"Are you serious?" he asked. "you'll be mine?"

"Yeah Danna," Deidara grinned and kissed his nose, "I'll be yours."

Sasori kissed him fervently, tangling his blonde hair in his fingers. He pulled apart and said, "you've made this the happiest day of my life."

"Jeez Danna, when did you get so sappy?" Deidara laughed. Sasori rolled his eyes and chuckled.

"I'm only ever sappy around you. But I'm still your master, so you have to respect me at all times," he ordered in a playful voice.

"Sure Danna," Deidara replied with a smirk. He nuzzled his face up in Sasori's chest, and Sasori hugged him close, feeling like his heart was going to burst out of his ribcage.

They hugged for a few moments in silence and then Sasori broke it with one last question, "So, what will you do when you finish your mission?"

Deidara sighed, "I'm not sure yet…I'm supposed to go back to the shinobi country…but, I'll miss you so much…I don't know if I'll actually return."

"You mean…you'll just live with me as a rogue ninja yourself?" Sasori asked him.

"Well, yeah. I want to be wherever you are Sasori. We can figure out the details when the time comes." Deidara said, shirking off the question. Sasori's heart did a back flip upon hearing that Deidara wanted to be with him. For now, that was all the reassurance Sasori needed.


	10. Chapter 10: The Day Sasuke Arrived

It was pouring loudly outside of the art shop, 7 months before Deidara's arrival in town. Sasori was begrudgingly wiping off the paint stains from the floor from his earlier disorderly class. He had placed the 'help wanted' sign on the door immediately after the class, hoping for any art enthusiast or even a college kid who needed extra money to come to his aide. He would take anyone at this point.

The jingling of the doorbell alerted Sasori to the fact that he had forgotten to lock the door. "Sorry, we're closed," he grumbled from his spot on the floor.

"I'm responding to your ad," came a low and calm voice.

Sasori stood up and eyed the young man before him. He had jet black hair which framed his face with several strands sticking out in the back, jutting out in odd angles. His dark pupils quietly stared off into the distance and his lips were pressed into a firm and serious scowl. There was something quite ominous about his presence, but Sasori decided he shouldn't judge the man on first appearances.

Sasori quickly put on his best customer service smile and stuck out his hand to shake the other man's. The man grasped his hand firmly, and shook it roughly. Sasori could feel worn calluses upon his palm, perhaps he had worked at a laborious job before this one. "I'm Sasori, the owner. Nice to meet you," Sasori greeted.

"My name is Sasuke," he replied without a hint of politeness.

"So Sasuke, why are you interested in this job? I'm looking for an apprentice, I'd have you do various tasks throughout the shop, I definitely need extra help with my classes." Sasori said, trying to explain the job as best as he could.

"I can do all that," Sasuke said flatly. Still, there was no hint of flattery behind his gloomy voice. Sasori wondered if this man had any 'people pleasing skills.'

"Okay," Sasori said a little awkwardly, "do you have a resume or references?"

Sasuke smirked slightly, Sasori was surprised by the twitch in his lips muscles. He was beginning to wonder if Sasuke's lips were in a permanent frown. "Where I come from…I don't have any references. But I can show you my worth. Let me work here for a week, I'll do everything you ask of me and I'll do it expertly." His arrogance sat with Sasori uncomfortably, irritating him.

"Hm, and where are you from exactly?" Sasori asked skeptically.

Sasuke opened his mouth and then closed it. His breath hitched and then he closed his eyes and said, "sorry for my rudeness…but I can't answer that right now." Sasori was completely shocked to see a slow tear roll down Sasuke's cheek from his closed eyes.

"Wh- are you ok?" Sasori shifted uncomfortably.

Sasuke opened his eyes and replied, "I don't normally profess much about myself, but since you asked about my past, I'll tell you a few things…I ran away from my home, I did something terrible and I can't go back. I even left behind a person who loved me and deeply cared for me. I just really need a break here, I need a new start. I don't have a resume or references, but if you allow me to work with you just one week, you'll see that I'm a hard worker." Although tears streamed silently down his cheeks, Sasuke's words were definite and truthful. Sasori felt pity for him, and decided to give him a chance. If he proved unworthy, then he could always fire him in a week and hire someone new.

"Okay, you can work for me. We'll see how you do after a week," Sasori agreed. He wondered if he was being too soft, but he didn't see the harm in giving this man a chance.

Sasuke wiped the last tears aside and smiled curtly once more, "thank you, I appreciate it," he said. "And don't worry, you won't have to hear about my bothersome past anymore."

Sasori waved a hand in front of his face, "it's no worry," he said. Although truthfully, he was grateful that Sasuke wasn't going to delve deeper into his troublesome drama. Sasori hated drama.

/

Sasuke proved to be a valuable employee within the first few days on the job. He listened to every instruction that Sasori listed off, and asked few questions. He understood everything the first time, and never forgot anything. He was capable of putting the art supplies away neatly and cleaning up after every class quickly and efficiently. It didn't take long for Sasori to realize that he was quite intelligent, and Sasori wondered why Sasuke had chosen to work at an art shop.

Sasuke kept to his word about being quiet about his past. In fact, he barely spoke a word to Sasori, and when he did, he kept the conversation light with small talk. He never asked Sasori any questions, and in turn, Sasori did not ask him anything. They kept silent about their pasts. Sasuke was reserved and timely, he arrived precisely at opening and left a minute after closing. Sasori soon got used to the routine of having Sasuke around. He was almost like a robot, doing his job with minimal complaints and few errors. Sasuke was as emotionless as a robot as well.

The trial week for Sasuke soon turned into several weeks and then several months. Sasuke worked efficiently and effectively for 6 full months before his sudden departure. On the day that Sasuke left, Sasori caught him staring out the window for a long while, looking at something that Sasori could not see. Sasuke then whipped around and stared at Sasori. "I need to quit," he said unexpectedly.

"What?" Sasori was flabbergasted.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, but Sasuke did not look sorry. In fact, Sasori could swear he saw anger in those dark eyes of his. He took off his smock and gently placed it on the coat rack by the door. "You've been a great employer Sasori. I do hope things turn out for the best here. But I can't do this any longer. I need to find something else."

At Sasuke's explanation, Sasori understood a little better. His resignation was abrupt and sudden, but Sasori always knew that Sasuke had never truly been interested in the job in the first place. He had just been going through the motions, doing the job to fill the void. Perhaps it would be better for Sasuke to move on and find something better suited for his talents. Sasori wished him well and watched as the strange and quiet man walked out the front door. Sasori believed he would never see him again.

/

The vegetable man at the marketplace turned out to be a dead end, as he did not know anything about the suspicious man that Deidara was after. Instead of becoming incensed about this information, Deidara merely shrugged his shoulder and linked his hand with Sasori's.

Another week rushed by, in which Deidara and Sasori attempted to spend every moment alone together. This proved challenging as the art shop continued to boom with business, each class had nearly doubled in size in the past few weeks since Deidara's arrival. Deidara was popular among the newcomers, who thought his jokes were funny and goggled at his good looks. Sasori didn't mind anymore, because Deidara was his boyfriend. He knew Deidara wouldn't break his loyalty.

When not busy at the shop, the two of them cuddled close in the privacy of their home. Sasori wondered if Deidara had pushed aside his mission for the time being. Sasori hadn't seen him searching for the rogue ninja since they became official. He wondered if the 'honey moon' stage of their relationship had swept all other thoughts from the blonde's head.

Sasori surely didn't mind, he was grateful to have Deidara all to himself every night. They would stay up late and tell stories and then have wonderful sex, sometimes several times, before drifting to sleep in each other's arms. Deidara had deconstructed the bunk bed and pushed the two mattresses together to make it easier for them to sleep cuddled up and still have room to move. Sasori was glad to be rid of the bunk bed.

Sasori was still learning various ninja techniques from Deidara, he was quite keen on someday catching up to Deidara's level. He knew it would take years of practice, so he insisted on learning something new every day. Deidara continued to treat his good work with sexual rewards, which was another reason Sasori was so motivated to carry out his training.

Everything had somehow fallen into place. The future was still murky with uncertainty, but Sasori knew that Deidara wanted to always be by his side. That thought alone put Sasori's mind at ease about their future together. He focused his energy on enjoying every moment with his new boyfriend, falling head over heels for the sexy, crazy blonde.

Their week of peace and happiness was quick, and short lived. It was interrupted on a Saturday morning by the presence of billowing black smoke in the distance. Sasori felt his heart race as Deidara's pupils dilated and his hair stuck up on end. "That's him!" he cried with an aghast look on his face.

Deidara turned from the kitchen where they were making breakfast and headed for the door. Sasori was shocked by his sudden movement. "Wait, aren't you going to eat first?"

"No time, if he's still out there, I need to go now!" Deidara yelled. He flung open the door and headed out without another word. Sasori felt the slam of the door resonate uneasily in his body. He dropped the pan in the sink and followed Deidara, eager to see the rogue ninja. Besides, he couldn't let his boyfriend venture out on his own. Deidara was possibly about to encounter a powerful shinobi, and would more than likely engage in a battle. Sasori wanted to be there to make sure nothing happened to him.

Deidara was running fast towards the fire, so fast that Sasori could barely keep up with him. The smoke was rising up from deep within the forest, Sasori set out towards it, barely able to see the blonde's head in the distance up ahead. He was pretty sure that Deidara didn't even know he was following him. Deidara had acted so quickly, it was like his mind was on overdrive.

Sasori finally reached the entrance to the thick forest just a mile outside the town. Making up for time, he decided to climb up a tree and run from branch to branch the way Deidara had taught him. Once in the treetops, he could see Deidara's figure ahead of him again, pressing onwards with intense speed. Sasori quickened his own pace. He could now smell the ashy, smokey odor of the fire up ahead. He hoped that the rogue ninja would not burn down the entire forest.

The black flames finally came into full view. The fire was smaller than Sasori had expected, and it was in a strange configuration. The fire was perfectly circular, with someone standing in the middle, their view shadowed by the rising flames. Deidara had stopped right in front of the man surrounded by fire, several feet away.

Sasori jumped down from the tree, landing next to Deidara. Deidara screeched, surprised by Sasori's presence. "Sasori? What are you doing!? Get out of here now!" Deidara hissed.

Sasori blinked at him, confused by his sudden vehemence. Then Sasori heard a dark, mad cackling from the man behind the black fire. Sasori whipped around, finally able to get a better view of the rogue ninja.

Sasuke Uchiha stared back at Sasori with a wicked smile and malicious, dark eyes.


	11. Chapter 11: The Charade is Over

Sasori felt a kick in his gut as the harsh reality hit him. Sasuke, his former quiet and sullen apprentice, was the rogue shinobi Deidara was after. Sasori's mind was flooded with the memory of Deidara's insistent questions about Sasuke several weeks ago. The questions had seemed arbitrary at the time, but now…

"You knew all along," Sasori sneered, unable to even look at Deidara. His attention was drawn to Sasuke, who held a smug and detached look upon his face. Sasuke smirked evilly, he seemed to be enjoying this turn of events.

"I didn't expect to see you here Sasori," Sasuke said, "but it all makes sense. Deidara must have taken up my old position in the art shop. After all, he knew I was working there before."

Sasori finally snapped his head towards Deidara in anger. Deidara was looking upon Sasuke with an icy stare. "Shut up Sasuke!" Deidara roared, "and give up this foolishness! I'm taking you back home."

Sasuke gave a barely audible snicker, muted by the sound of the crackling flames. "You can't defeat me," he said arrogantly, "besides, I've come to give you a warning. I'm not looking for a battle my old friend."

Deidara glowered, "What do you mean, warning? Hm?"

"Stay away from me. I know you've been trying to find me. Go back to the shinobi country, leave me be. What I do here is of no concern to you," Sasuke's words were rigid with resolve. His dark eyes were unbreakable stones staring daggers at Deidara.

Deidara yelled back, "It is my concern! I was sent here by the hokage, and besides, I need to clear my name hm!"

Sasuke shook his head defiantly, "I don't care about any of that. Leave."

"Or else what?" Deidara hissed back. He still hadn't moved forward, afraid to get near the wicked black flames licking up the air and surrounding Sasuke.

Sasuke smirked again, and then laid his dark irises upon Sasori. "Sasori," his voice was less angered, more subtle, "you don't know why Deidara is here, do you?"

"He's after a rogue ninja who framed him…I never realized he was after you," Sasori admitted with a cold stare at his boyfriend. Deidara looked close to crying in his outrage.

"Hah, so you finally know about the shinobi now…I bet he never told you he was looking for me. You realize now that the reason he's working at your art shop is because he knew I was there. The day I quit, I knew he would be coming. I saw one of his clay birds in the distance, and I know the bird saw me. Yes, Deidara knew where to find me. He used you to get to me," Sasuke explained. Sasori opened his mouth to reply, but Sasuke continued, "I hope you didn't allow yourself to get too close to him Sasori."

Sasori felt tears prick his eyes, but he held them back. He turned to Deidara with disbelief, "You were using me this whole time?" he asked, feeling his voice crack. He swallowed hard, trying to control his emotions.

"No Danna, it's not like that!" Deidara replied with a distressed look in his eyes. "Don't listen to him."

Sasuke laughed madly once more, "Oh this is rich," he said haughtily. "The two of you are in a relationship now? Is that is?" He shook his head in disapproval. "If only you had known Sasori."

"Known what?" Sasori demanded.

"That Deidara used to be my lover," Sasuke responded. Sasori felt a glass arrow pierce through his heart at those words.

"Stop it Sasuke!" Deidara cried. Tears were flowing forth from his blue eyes, dripping down his cheeks and soaking the hem of his shirt. He was angry and dismayed, but helpless to do anything as the black flames continued to dance before them.

"He didn't tell you anything…typical. He was using you Sasori. He doesn't care for you." The glass arrow dug deeper in Sasori's chest. Sasuke continued, "I dated him to gain information about the akatsuki's whereabouts, and to find out about my brother. I used him, and now he's using you. He loved me Sasori. I left him behind when he told me."

Sasori's body felt numb. The tears were finally running down his heated cheeks, stinging his eyes. He didn't dare look at Deidara, he couldn't bear to face him after what he just heard.

"Deidara," Sasuke's eyes were upon the blonde again, "leave now. I won't be coming back with you." His final warning was shrouded with malice directed towards Deidara. Then, his figure disappeared suddenly, puffing up into a cloud of smoke. The flames began to die down instantly, and left a black burnt ring on the ground. The smell of charred smoke lingered in the air prominently.

"Just a shadow clone…" Deidara whispered to himself. He turned to Sasori, his eyes brimming with fresh tears. "Danna…"

Sasori's body was shaking uncontrollably. His hands curled into fists and he locked eyes with Deidara's. A sharp pang stabbed his swollen heart once more as he fixed onto those sapphire orbs. "You lied," he said, voice still quaking.

"Sasori, I never meant for you to find out like this…" Deidara reached a hand out towards him, and Sasori pulled away in disgust.

"Did you ever mean for me to find out? You flat out lied to me! Did you even date a man named Akio?" Sasori bellowed into the thick forest.

"No, I made that up," Deidara confessed, "I didn't feel comfortable telling you the truth…that would mean revealing to you that I was weak, that I had been heartbroken before. I was with Sasuke when I was 17, shortly after I joined the akatsuki. I never thought his inquiries about what I did and where I went in the organization were out of place. He was merely manipulating me to gain intel on the akatsuki since his target, his brother Itachi, was in the organization. I-I never saw through his tricks…and I fell in love with him. I was naïve, and new to love…he never reciprocated those feelings for me, so he broke things off and then made his move on his brother a few weeks later. I still think that if I was able to just see through Sasuke's deception, I could have discovered his true intentions and thwarted his plan to kill Itachi." Deidara stepped closer to Sasori, but Sasori stepped back away from him again.

"So that's the truth?" Sasori asked distrustfully.

"Yes, it is. I was eager to find Sasuke again not only because he framed me for his arson charges back home, but also because I feel I owe it to Itachi. Itachi and I were never very close, but he was a member of the akatsuki with me…and now he's dead because of Sasuke."

"Do you still love him?" Sasori almost didn't want to know the answer.

"No, I don't," Deidara said, shaking his head vigorously, "I was over him the moment I heard what he did. Looking back on our relationship, I realize he was never good for me…I was a fool in love. He means nothing to me now!" Deidara said with force. The sunlight glinted off of his wet cheeks.

Sasori felt a small relief at his words, but the painful truth was too strong. Deidara had kept more than just a few secrets from him. He had lied about his mission, lied about his true reason for coming into town and asking for work. Sasori's chest clenched tightly as he realized that Deidara even lied about his feelings towards him. Sasori couldn't shake the fact that he had been taken advantage of. Sasuke's voice rang through his head _' I used him, and now he's using you.'_

"You should do as he says, and leave." Sasori looked away from Deidara as he said this.

Deidara slumped forward, trying once more to grab onto Sasori's hand. His movements were futile, Sasori refused to touch him. "Danna, please. Try to understand, I didn't know what to do…I'm sorry!"

"Don't call me 'Danna' anymore. You used me. You never cared about me. The charade is over. Just go!" Sasori felt incensed as he stared at the saddened Deidara.

"That's not true!" Deidara's voice broke, "Yes it's true I came to the art shop because I knew Sasuke had worked there. I thought I could find out more about him from you…but then I got to know you! And things changed, I felt truly connected with you, and I meant everything that I've said and done these past few weeks. I do care for you Sasori, please, believe me." Deidara was pleading, fresh tears cascading down his cheeks.

Sasori narrowed his eyes, his broken heart was pulsing fast in his chest with resentment. "How am I supposed to believe anything you say? You're a liar Deidara," Sasori's words were laced with hardness. He tried as best as he could to keep his voice from wavering. He had ceased the tears again, and held them back for the time being.

Deidara let his hands fall to his sides. He looked completely defeated, "I'm sorry Sasori. I should've told you everything from the start. I-"

"Just stop," Sasori demanded, faltering Deidara's apology with an outstretched palm. "I don't want to see you anymore. Please just leave."

Deidara crumpled to the ground, his hands were wiping away the fast flowing tears as he wept. Sasori turned around and walked away, leaving the slumped Deidara alone in the woods.

…..

Sasori allowed himself to fully feel the effect of what happened when he entered his apartment. Once the door shut behind him, he fell to the floor, feeling weak. His muscles failed him, and all hope escaped him. He laid flat on the floor, crying silently to himself and staring up at the ceiling. His heart ached painfully, his chest felt tight. His breathing quickened as he sobbed uncontrollably, and he began heaving.

He turned his body and laid on the floor in fetal position. Moshi nudged her head up against Sasori's face, and he reached out a hand to pet her. She purred as he continued to bawl, sniffling and moaning loudly in the privacy of his place. He felt a hole in his heart, he was an open wound. He doubted if he would ever heal, the lesion in his heart was too deep. Sasori was broken.

Deidara did not come home that night. He must have realized how serious Sasori was about never wanting to see him again. Sasori felt like a monument to loneliness, wrapped up in a ball on the floor. The damp air of his apartment, void of sound and energy, left Sasori feeling tired and exposed. The absence of Deidara was nearly tangible, the very room felt sad and cold. The hint of new tears were sharp, and Sasori tried desperately to hold them back. It was useless.

He laid defeated and drowned in sorrow until sleep finally encased his body, providing a temporary departure from his tortuous thoughts. Perhaps tomorrow would be better. He doubted it.


	12. Chapter 12: The Brain vs the Heart

Sunday was a blur. Sasori slept in too late and ate too little. His body felt weak, and his heart continued to ache. Angered thoughts of Deidara's betrayal swam through his mind uneasily. Every touch, kiss, and tender phrase from Deidara over the past few weeks had been a lie. Sasori had been seduced by the sexy blonde's deceptive words and lustful tricks. Sasori wondered what else had been a lie…had anything been real at all?

It took all of Sasori's willpower to get out of bed on Monday morning and go to work. He half expected to see the honey-blonde haired fiend walk through the front doors to take back his pottery class. But Deidara did not show up, and his absence hung over the art shop like a ghost.

Sasori was constantly reminded of the lack of Deidara by almost every inquisitive student. "Where is Deidara?" they all asked with wide eyes. Sasori grimly told them all that he had quit. "What? Why would he quit?" they asked in disbelief. Sasori then narrowed his eyes at them and ignored their questions. Somehow, he managed to get through the work day.

It had been the most exhausting day of work in his life. Getting through each class with a façade of happiness drained the life out of Sasori. All he wanted to do was curl up in a ball and cry and then yell out in rage. The resentment and grief he kept tucked inside all day needed to be acknowledged. He let his body fall forward onto his couch, and then the tears he hid inside all day rolled down his cheeks slowly. He tasted the saltiness in his mouth, he bit his lip and scrunched his face in an attempt to stop the irritating tears from flowing.

Sasori cursed Deidara and he cursed himself. He punched the couch cushions as tears streamed down his warm cheeks. "Stupid Deidara!" he yelled. He was mad that Deidara actually left. He was mad at himself for telling Deidara to leave. He was mad that Deidara lied to him. He was mad at himself for falling for Deidara's tricks. He was mad at _everything._

He was gone. The fact settled in deep in Sasori's soul, and lay there at the pit of his uneasy stomach. He had pushed away the one true happiness in his life. Sure, Deidara had lied. Perhaps everything he said and did was false. Deidara had used him. But Sasori couldn't deny that he was happier when Deidara was in his life. And now, he would never see him again.

All the hopes and dreams Sasori had planned on didn't turn out the way he intended. Deidara had told him that he wanted to stay with Sasori, no matter what happened in his future. Now that was all changed.

Sasori had opened up to Deidara, and let himself feel vulnerable in front of him. He had been honest with him from day one. He had let Deidara know his secrets, and his past. He had exposed everything hidden to Deidara. Only to Deidara. He had never in his life felt comfortable enough with anyone else to share in his secrets and desires.

Underneath the surface, Sasori was falling apart. His breathing became restricted as his chest pulled and tightened with the pain of sorrow and loneliness. He was so lonesome he couldn't bear it.

Sasori dried his eyes and decided to go for a visit to his grandmother's house. He wasn't sure if he could talk to her about Deidara, but he was hopeful that being in the presence of someone who cared for him would make him feel better.

…

"Sasori?!" Chiyo was surprised to see him standing on her doorstep on a Monday night.

"Hi granny," Sasori said awkwardly. He shifted his weight uncomfortably, now he wasn't so sure if coming here had been a good idea. "I thought maybe I could have some tea or something. I didn't come over yesterday…I was busy."

"Oh sure, come on in," Chiyo said brightly. She still wore a confused expression but welcomed the redhead with open arms. Sasori sighed in relief and stepped into the cozy house.

As they walked past the foyer, Sasori caught a glimpse of something brightly colored from his peripheral vision. He turned towards the staircase and saw a pink t-shirt laid out over the dark wooden railing, sticking out like a sore thumb. It was Deidara's shirt.

Sasori immediately turned on his heel, "he's here?!" he cried as he bolted for the door. Chiyo ran after him, catching up to him outside of the house.

"Sasori wait!"

"Why granny!? Why is he staying with you?" Sasori demanded. He wasn't even careful about keeping his voice down, he half wished that Deidara was upstairs listening in on the conversation.

"He had nowhere else to go," Chiyo stated, clearly sympathetic towards the blonde.

"He was supposed to go home! Back to his shinobi country!" Sasori spat back. A fiery rage had summoned up from within.

"Sasori calm down," Chiyo walked forward, and placed a hand on his shoulder. He shrugged her hand aside and cast her a livid glower, his brunette eyes growing darker. "He's still trying to finish his mission. He was out all night looking for Sasuke after you left him alone in the woods."

"So, he still loves him then? That's it?" Sasori's heart sank as that thought perched in his brain.

Chiyo looked like she was resisting the urge to roll her eyes at her grandson, "Sasori, stop sulking around and holding grudges. You held onto the fact that I lied to you for so long, and our relationship was broken for so many years as a result! We can't get those years back. Don't do this to yourself again."

"Me!?" Sasori asked incredulously. "He's the one-!" He couldn't even get across in words what he was trying to say. It was obvious that his grandmother had already heard Deidara's side of the story. Her opinion was saturated with his lies. He was beside himself with anger at Deidara for going to his grandmother's house of all places.

"Sasori, Deidara truly cares for you. He was looking for Sasuke out of vengeance, he was so angry after what happened that he wanted to capture Sasuke right away and hurt him. He came at my door early Sunday morning, and I couldn't just turn him away. He was a mess. I talked him out of trying to find and beat up this Sasuke, his mission is to simply capture him." Chiyo explained.

"Huh, likely story." Sasori said.

"Sasori, I know you won't listen to me, but please just talk to him. I didn't intend to get involved with your love life, I'm sure you can handle this on your own. Please try to give him another chance." Chiyo said with warm, pleading eyes.

"I can't talk to him now. I'm leaving." Sasori said stubbornly through gritted teeth. He turned around and left his grandmother looking crestfallen at the doorstep.

He had taken only a few steps around the corner when he heard the creak of the door opening again and hurried footsteps chasing behind him. He didn't need to turn around to know who it was. He looked on ahead of him, and murmured, "what do you want?"

"Danna please, turn around and talk to me hm," replied Deidara's soft voice. Sasori felt a crack in his heart as the familiar pleasant sound waves danced through his ears.

Sasori turned around slowly, and stared up at the lone figure standing in the darkness. His golden blonde hair stood out among the night as the moonlight reflected off of it. His features delicately shimmered in the faint illumination. He looked perfectly breathtaking, as usual. The sight drew painful memories at the forefront of Sasori's mind.

"I want to apologize again Sasori. I am truly sorry for lying to you, really." Deidara stated. He was standing tall and firm, it didn't look like he was in danger of crumpling on the floor in a mess of tears again. He was poised with fortitude, ready to do or say whatever it took to win his Danna back into his good graces.

"I believe you are sorry. But that doesn't erase the fact that you lied…everything was a deception," Sasori stared daggers into those blue orbs, but Deidara's expression did not falter. He was determined to get through to the stubborn redhead.

"Not everything Sasori. My feelings were real the whole time."

"The whole time? Hm? So even when you first entered the art shop and began to toy with my emotions and flirt with me senselessly? That wasn't fake?" Sasori shot the questions out in rapid fire.

"Sasori, I had every intention of duping you to get to Sasuke to finish my mission as quickly as possible before stepping into that art shop. But the moment I walked through the door and saw you on the other side, my plan was out the window. I never saw anyone like you. I never met anyone like you before hm." Deidara's words caused Sasori's heart to jump madly in his chest. He was angry that Deidara _still_ had that effect on him. He wanted desperately to be rid of the blonde so he could be left alone to brood in his anger, but the blonde's words were slowly pushing past the thick defensive wall surrounding Sasori's emotions.

Deidara resumed speaking, placing deep emphasis on each syllable, "Sasori, I care for you very deeply."

Sasori felt the bricks of his defense wall begin to crumble. He had to get out of there quick before he gave in to Deidara's deceitful language tricks. Because that's what it was, wasn't it? All another lie, a made up story? He turned from Deidara once more without another word and began to run home, moving his legs as fast as he could through the shaded night. He heard a faint cry from Deidara, "Sasori wait! Where are you going hm!?" but he kept his head down and sprinted out of there, not daring to look back.

He felt like a scared child. Deidara's words resounded in his mind, driving him insane. _"I care for you very deeply,"_ the cunning blonde ninja had said. Sasori chewed that line through his mind again and again, wondering why Deidara would say such a thing. If the ruse was up, and if Deidara truly didn't care about him, then why would he bother to say this? How could this lie help him get closer to his goal of capturing Sasuke? Maybe, just maybe, Deidara was being truthful? Did the blonde genuinely fall for Sasori?

Sasori stopped his impulsive sprint and leaned forward to catch his breath. His heart begged him to turn around and go back to Deidara. His brain refused, saying that there was too much risk, warning him to protect his fragile heart. His heart had been hurt one too many times, his brain reminded him. His heart squeezed his chest, raising up memories of every passionate touch and kiss from Deidara.

Sasori already knew which side he would take, even if it meant possibly jeopardizing his feelings once more. He sided firmly with his heart, and turned on his heel to walk back to his grandmother's house. Perhaps his grandmother was right, as much as he hated to admit it. He needed to stop holding grudges. He would forgive Deidara, if Deidara's feelings were sincere.

Sasori walked back with a spring in his step, and he almost didn't catch the barely audible shuffling behind him. Someone was following him.

He whipped his head around, eyes alert and scanning through the thick darkness. He surveyed the area for several moments before realizing that no one else was in sight. Perhaps his mind was playing tricks on him. He cautiously turned around, ready to head back on his quest for Deidara.

A muffled scream escaped his lips as woolen fabric shrouded his vision. A rank sack had been forced over his head and his hands were grasped tightly and shoved behind his back harshly. He kicked and punched, but to no avail. He felt thick, tight rope dig into his wrists as someone pulled them together in a knot. He began to scream, hoping that Deidara was still within earshot.

A loud clunk echoed in the silent night, and Sasori felt a sharp stab of pain on his temple before lulling into unconsciousness.


	13. Chapter 13: The Battle Begins

Blurred imaged swam across Sasori's vision as his heavy eyelids opened slowly. A painful throbbing in his head made it hard to remember what had happened. He blinked several times to clear out his vision, and soon his surroundings came into focus.

He was staring at the memory of a once beautiful section of forest. He recognized it as the spot that Sasuke had engulfed in flames a few weeks earlier. The land was desolate and barren, screaming for life to spring forth from its roots once more. Trees surrounded the wide clearing, rising tall into the faintly lit sky. It was dawn, Sasori could see the sunlight peeking up from the treetops, making its way to the top of the earth to announce the new day.

Sasori tried to pull forward, and then realized that he was tied up to a tree. That's right, he had been kidnapped. The memory flashed before him again, awakening an angry beast inside him. Who would dare kidnap him and knock him out?

"You're awake." Of course. Sasuke Uchiha.

"What the hell?!" Sasori seethed, eyeing his former apprentice with pure hatred. The sunlight began to shine in on the clearing, contrasting vividly with the male's dark toned hair.

"Deidara is beginning to annoy me, I'd like him to leave. I needed bait to lure him out. I'll threaten to kill you if he doesn't leave me alone," Sasuke declared his evil plan as though he was reciting simple mathematics. All emotion was robbed of his speech. Sasori wondered what had happened to this man to make him like this.

Sasori grumbled to himself, knowing there was no point in arguing with the dark-haired Uchiha. He fidgeted his fingers, trying to loosen up the rope. It was certainly wrapped around him tightly, he could barely move a muscle.

Sasuke laughed darkly, "Don't even try it. Chakra flows through that rope, making it extremely durable. A genin level ninja like yourself would never be able to break through it."

"Hmpf!" Sasori huffed. He wasn't about to just sit there like a damsel in distress. He closed his eyes, trying to calm his nerves so he could devise a plan and secure a way out of this mess. He thought back to all his shinobi lessons with his grandmother and Deidara.

Sasuke paced the blackened forest, waiting impatiently for Deidara. Sasori thought it would be best to distract the Uchiha, so he asked, "How do you know Deidara will come for me?"

"I sent my hawk with a letter to him. He'll know. Apparently he is more interested with you than I recently thought," Sasuke explained in an offhanded manner, not breaking from his back and forth pace.

"And how are you so sure?" Sasori asked him. He was building chakra up in his fingers, hoping that his plan would work.

"I watched him that night that I gave him my warning. I wanted to make sure he would leave. He searched all over for me, muttering about how he would beat me to a pulp for destroying whatever relationship you two had. I thought he might leave the next morning…but it seems he's a stubborn one." Sasuke's lips curled in annoyance at the last statement.

"Yeah, like me," Sasori muttered under his breath. He felt the chakra radiate through his finger tips, now if only he could mold the chakra so that it emanated in a fine, needle point…

"Why are you so desperate to have him gone?" Sasori asked him. This was a question that he was actually interested in knowing the answer to.

Sasuke snapped his head sharply to stare a menacing look into Sasori's brown irises. "I want nothing to do with the shinobi! I want to be left alone! Deidara thinks he can bring me back to the shinobi world!? He's a fool."

"If you want nothing to do with the shinobi, then why did you come to work for me at my art shop? Surely a top level ninja like yourself would have sensed my chakra."

Sasuke stopped his pacing to consider this question. "I was intrigued by you Sasori. I wondered how you had come to live here with the rest of the world, and how you had never learned of your true self. It was pretty obvious upon meeting you that you weren't aware of your ninja prowess. I was merely curious." Sasuke then started to pace again, walking back and forth across the blistered earth.

"Hm…" Sasori considered this response as he worked on forming his chakra into a fine needle point…he was almost there. "So you weren't the tiniest bit disappointed when you realized that I didn't know about the shinobi? I think you were looking for a connection to the shinobi world, you were looking for someone to talk to about what you had done. You wanted to find someone who would understand you. I still remember the first time I met you, you cried to me about mistakes you had made."

Sasuke's eyes flashed dangerously, "Shut up Sasori! Do you want me to kill you right now!?"

Sasori was about to retort when he saw a sudden flash of golden locks sway behind Sasuke's form. "That won't be necessary hm. Hand him over," Deidara's voice rang throughout the forest with malevolence.

Sasuke spun around to face him. He chuckled madly, bellowing out a deep laugh. "Look who finally arrived!"

Now was Sasori's chance. He used his thin needle-point chakra manipulation to cut through the thick ropes. He was relieved when the ropes fell at his side, freeing him. He stood up and charged at Sasuke, ready to punch him with all his strength.

Sasuke didn't even turn around. He pushed out his arm and grabbed Sasori's outstretched fist in it. He used the momentum of Sasori's sprint to shove him forcefully to the ground. Sasori flinched as his body hit the ground, spraying up dirt.

Sasuke still clutched Sasori's fist in his hands, and he looked down at the redhead on the ground wearing a disgusted expression. "How dare you!? Now, you will face the ultimate wrath of the Uchiha!" his eyes suddenly changed from their dark sullen blackness and flickered to a bright red with a black pattern. Sasori had never seen anything like it.

"No!" Deidara cried, rushing forward.

"Yes!" Sasuke responded with an evil smirk. His eyes locked on his prey, "let him feel the full power of my genjutsu!"

Sasori stared up into those strangely patterned red eyes and blinked. What was supposed to be happening? Was this the part where he was supposed to be whisked away into a dream like state and see horrific images of who knows what?

Sasuke's eyes narrowed and a bulge in his temple began to form. "What is this? Why aren't you falling under my genjutsu?" he asked. Then his eyes widened with shock, "No…" he said, his voice trailing off with disbelief.

Sasori wasn't quite sure what was going on, but he took advantage of the momentary distraction nevertheless. He bolted up and landed a punch on Sasuke's shoulder. He had been aiming for his face, but Sasuke had dodged at the last second. The Uchiha was a skillful fighter, and his sharingan eyes could see through each attack.

Deidara wasted no time in joining in the skirmish. He kicked a leg out, attempting to knock Sasuke on the ground. Sasuke jumped up, avoiding the attack and stepping back. Sasuke's hands were motioning quickly, forming hand signs so fast Sasori could not read them.

Deidara pulled on the hem of Sasori's shirt and wrenched him away. The two narrowly missed the oncoming fireball jutsu. Sasori felt a few stray strands of hair singe from the heat.

Sasuke had disappeared from their view, Deidara stood his ground, eyeing the forest cautiously. Sasori stood next to him, unsure how to act next. They waited for a sign of the raven haired ninja.

Sasori's ears pricked as he heard the Uchiha cackling from within the forest. His voice echoed, making it impossible to discern where he was hiding, "Sasori, you ruined my plan," he stated.

"I wasn't about to just lay there tied up!" Sasori spat back, eyeing the thick trees, trying to find the source. Deidara hovered closely to him, his hands already munching away in his clay bags.

"Clever boy, I didn't suspect that you had learned such advanced chakra control. But what I'm referring to is the device that lays beneath your hazel eyes," Sasuke said, his voice continuing to ring and bounce off the empty forest. Deidara pulled out his hand and a clay bird emerged, he silently nudged Sasori to follow his lead.

"Device?" Sasori asked, baffled. The clay bird jumped out from Deidara's palm and hit the floor gracefully before growing in size. It outstretched it's wings, allowing space on its back for the two to climb on. Deidara began to crawl up the bird, reaching a hand out to help the redhead. It was a moment too late though.

Sasori's ankle was grabbed, and he looked down in shock to see Sasuke's figure emerge from the dirt. His eyes were glowing red with rage. "Your parents built a microscopic apparatus that they implanted in their eyes, it made them resistant to visual genjutsu. I've heard all about your dear old mom and dad, and how they were summoned from this land to help when the nine tailed fox attacked my village. Many thought that my clan, the Uchiha, controlled the beast with their visual prowess. The 4th hokage thought your parents could evade attacks from the Uchiha controlling the beast, using their genjustus repellant eyes. So they were recruited to set out and find whoever was behind the nine tailed beast attack. I never realized that they had implanted the same device into their son. I'll just have to fix that," a malicious smile curved across his impish face as he pulled out his other arm from beneath the ground. The sunlight glinted off of Sasuke's magnificent blade. Sasuke swung his blade in the direction of Sasori's face, aiming for his eyes.

Sasori was yanked upwards by Deidara and the blade grazed his cheek, drawing blood and tainting the blade with ruby droplets. In the next instant, Sasori was flying high up into the sky, sitting haphazardly on top of the bird's backside. He swiveled himself around and grabbed onto Deidara's waist for support, burying his face into Deidara's back. He wasn't sure if he enjoyed flying.

Deidara was scowling, "he's going to pay for this." He pulled out another clay bird with accentuated curves. The bird fell towards the ground, where Sasuke stood smirking.

Deidara set off the explosion, creating a grand sound wave of dirt and debris flying through the clearing. Sasuke had avoided the bomb with his quick feet. He was now standing several feet away from the bombed area, eyeing the clay bird that flew above him.

The bird climbed higher into the sky, until Sasuke appeared as a small ant on the dark terrain. Sasori felt his ears pop unpleasantly at the change in altitude. The wind whipped viciously through their hair. Deidara turned his head around to face Sasori, a look of utmost seriousness plastered across his perfect features. "Listen Sasori, I need you to stay out of this fight. Sasuke is a top ranked rogue ninja, and he will stop at nothing in order to defeat me. That means he'll continue to go after you."

Sasori lightly brushed his cheek, feeling the warm blood smear across his fingers. "I don't care, I want to help. We should stop him together."

"Sasori, I just need to distract him for a little while. I've already alerted the hokage to come and capture him. I don't want you to get in the middle of this, I don't want you to get hurt. I'll drop you off somewhere safe so you can go back home."

"No Deidara! I don't want to be away from your side!" Sasori pleaded. He wrapped his arms around Deidara's waist, hugging him close. This wasn't exactly the way he had planned to forgive Deidara and win him back, but he hoped Deidara understood his intentions.

A soft smile danced upon Deidara's lips, "You are a stubborn one aren't you? Even if I do drop you off somewhere safe, you'll probably come running right back into the battle, won't you?" Sasori nodded in agreement. Deidara's bird began to swoop down, bringing them closer to the earth again. "Alright Sasori," Deidara said, "just stay by my side. Don't let him get to you. I'll do everything in my power to protect you."

"Of course, I already have an idea. I don't have my puppets with me, but I still have my chakra thread," Sasori replied, pulling his fingers up to show the barely visible thin lines.

Deidara's eyes sparkled with adoration. The bird hovered several feet above Sasuke, but still too far away for him to reach them with an attack. Deidara took advantage of the small lull in the battle. He lifted Sasori's chin upwards and planted a sweet chaste kiss on his lips. Sasori's insides exploded with joy. "Sasori, before we do this I want you to know something."

"Hm?" Sasori said, his lips still pursed outwards, hoping for another kiss.

"I love you," Deidara's eyes shone brightly and were locked onto Sasori's hazel ones. Deidara then turned back around, plunging his hands in his bags and preparing for battle with the Uchiha. Sasori was stunned silent. His heart was whole again, pumping fast and sending a warm energy throughout his body.

The bird fell towards the ground again, lowering a few feet so that they were within clear range of Sasuke. Deidara pulled out his arms and the mouths began to spew out white clay, which splattered to the floor around Sasuke. "Let's see what you make of these hm!" Deidara cried. The clay formed itself into various monstrous figures, with black holes for eyes and mouths. They formed crude arms and legs and lunged at Sasuke from every side, and he was locked in battle with these figures, swinging his blade around and slicing through the thick clay.

Sasori borrowed Deidara's kunai and shuriken tools. He lunged a shuriken in Sasuke's direction. Sasuke blocked the tool with his blade cleverly before slicing through another one of Deidara's clay creatures. Sasori smirked, expecting this. He tapped his finger slightly, and the shuriken sprung forward once more, aiming towards Sasuke with intense speed. Sasori's chakra thread on the weapon had come in handy.

The shuriken grazed across Sasuke's cheek and nose, drawing crimson blood. Sasuke's eyes narrowed, "chakra threads on a shuriken hm?" he moved his blade upwards, cutting through the thread.

Another clay figure was upon him, but he turned around just in time to defend against the snowy white creature. The clay splashed on the ground, it had been the last of the creatures.

"Come on Deidara, you can do better than that," Sasuke claimed.

"Oh this is just the beginning!" Deidara cried, throwing a clay spider at the smug Uchiha. The spider clung onto Sasuke's shirt and grew in size. Sasuke clawed at the clay, trying desperately to detach it from his body. Deidara smirked and set off the explosion. The dirt showered up into the sky once more.

As the dusty smoke cleared, Deidara and Sasuke searched frantically for Sasuke from their perch in the sky. "Where is he dammit?!" Deidara muttered in frustration.

"Chidori stream!" Sasuke's voice burst through the clearing, and a lighting stream emanated forth from within the thick trees. The stream of lightning pierced through Deidara's clay bird's wing.

Sasori and Deidara began to fall fast to the earth, clinging onto the bird for support. Deidara grabbed Sasori's arms and pulled him close to his chest. A few feet from the ground, Deidara jumped up and tucked their bodies forward into a roll. Sasori was protected in Deidara's grasp, but he still felt the sting of oncoming bruises around his back and shins as they spun forward on the ground.

Deidara pulled up fast to stand, still grasping onto Sasori. Sasuke was stepping forward from a thicket of trees. "How did you avoid my attack hm!?" Deidara's nostrils were flared in fury.

Sasuke walked closer to the duo, his blade had been sheathed again. "A clone," he stated simply. Deidara growled in annoyance. "Sasori, that eyepiece is quite unique, and because of it I can't place you under my genjutsu. However," he paused and flashed his menacing red eyes at them, directly into Deidara's azure orbs, "I can do as I please with him."

A bloodcurdling scream escaped Deidara's lips. He was writhing with pain, rooted on the spot. Sasori looked on him with horror, and reached up a hand to tap him out of the genjutsu.

A sharp stab of pain struck Sasori's outstretched hand. Sasuke had thrown a kunai at him. "I won't allow you to free him from this genjutsu. The game is over. You can't defeat me on your own Sasori."

Sasori scowled at him, then jerked his fingers forwards. The kunai that Sasuke had thrown came flying back towards its owner's direction. Sasori had been able to attach a chakra thread onto the kunai, just barely in time.

Sasuke sidestepped and pulled out his sword, ready to block the kunai. But Sasori changed the trajectory at the last second, before Sasuke could react. He sent the kunai in Deidara's direction.

The kunai pierced Deidara's thumb, bending it back in an unnatural way, with a stream of blood pouring forth. Deidara's glazed over eyes became soft again as he returned from his visual nightmare. Deidara smirked and pulled out the kunai, flinching slightly. "Thank you Danna."

"I apologize if your thumb is broken, but I couldn't get near you to release you from the genjutsu," Sasori said. The two positioned themselves in a fighting stance, poised for any attack.

Sasuke smirked devilishly at them, ready to strike. "This won't be pleasant for either of you, I'm done playing games." He pulled his sword over his head, ready to rush forward. Sasori braced himself, holding onto his next weapon tightly, ready to send it flying.

However, before Sasuke could charge, someone stepped in between the fighters, blocking Sasori's view. He stood with his backside to Sasori and Deidara. A billowing white robe with orange flames patterned on the bottom fringe blew through the light breeze. The word "hokage" ran down the length of the white robe and a mass of spiky blonde hair topped the head of the owner. He stood poised and confident.

"Naruto." Sasuke's voice was filled with wrath.


	14. Chapter 14: The Hokage's Duty

"Sasuke," Naruto replied, with a hint of relief. "It's time you come home."

Sasuke sneered, "No Naruto, leave me alone!"

"I understand why you killed your brother, and I understand why you fled. I've since learned the truth about Itachi and his life." Naruto spoke with a steady tone, but sadness was reflected in his brilliant blue eyes.

Deidara led Sasori back a few steps. The two watched as Sasuke and Naruto spoke. "This is the hokage?" Sasori asked Deidara in disbelief. He was young, maybe 21 years old.

"He's more powerful than he looks hm," Deidara responded, respect for the young hokage clear in his voice.

Sasori was about to ask another question, when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He spun around to find Chiyo starting at him with a worried and relieved look. "Granny?!"

"I heard explosions and rushed over, I see you two battled with Sasuke?" Chiyo asked.

Sasori nodded, noticing a flash in his peripheral vision. He turned back to the battle field, and his eyes nearly popped out of his head. Sasuke's body was encased in a massive, purple skeletal ghost figure. The purple armor stood tall and menacing, glowering down at the spiky haired hokage. Sasori stared open mouthed at the display.

"Let's back up a little, that's the susano'o," granny Chiyo's eyes were wide with mingled admiration and fear. "It's the Uchiha's ultimate defense."

The three of them backed away and watched with awe as Naruto tapped into his nine tailed fox chakra. The large nine tailed form emerged, rivaling the susano'o in size. The beast was absolutely massive, Sasori could not believe his eyes. The tailed beast and susano'o began to fight, locking arms in battle while the two men exchanged words with furious speed.

"Enough Sasuke! I don't want to hurt you!"

"Then leave me alone! You could never understand the pain of what I've been through! You've been alone your whole life, I had my family killed before my eyes, you would never understand!"

"Sasuke, when we exchange blows, I can see into your heart. I know that you regret killing Itachi, now that you know the truth! You are not alone Sasuke, you have me!"

The conversation wore on as the massive beasts struck each other with gargantuan fists. This would definitely draw the attention of the townspeople. Sasori's head was buzzing with questions.

He turned to his grandmother, something heavy on his mind, "You never told me I had an implant in my eyes."

"Sasori…so Sasuke tried to use his visual powers on you? Your parents implanted the device in your eyes when you were a baby. We were still living in the shinobi country, still unsure if we would be granted permission to leave. Your parents were very cautious." Chiyo explained.

"So…I can't be placed under genjutsu? Why hasn't this device been given to every shinobi?" Sasori asked. The battle between giants raged in the background, Deidara was watching the two shinobi with an open mouth and wide unblinking eyes, mesmerized by their power.

Chiyo chuckled, "Not many know about it. Your parents were skilled craftsmen, they toyed around with many inventions. The eyepiece was one of few inventions that actually worked well. The 4th hokage, Naruto's father, knew about it. He figured that your parents could stop the Uchiha controlling the nine tailed fox."

"Did they?" Sasori wanted to know.

"Your parents fought hard, but they died in battle at the hands of the demon fox before it was sealed away. No one knew who had sent the fox upon the village hidden in the leaves, the village where Naruto and Sasuke are from," Chiyo explained.

"But many thought it was the Uchiha clan? Their eyes can control the nine tails?" Sasori was putting the pieces together in his mind, solving the puzzle of this mess.

"Yes, dissent arose between the rest of the villagers and the Uchiha after that day. Until, of course, the Uchiha were all murdered by Itachi, Sasuke's older brother." Chiyo said, staring up at the gargantuan combatants.

The nine tailed fist met with the susano'o's cheek, and the purple sword held by susano'o collided with the nine tail's shoulder. The two glowing, massive figures dissolved, sending Naruto and Sasuke back to the earth, no longer protected by their colossal chakra protectors.

Naruto and Sasuke stood up, Sasori was surprised that they still had the energy to do so after their intense battle. They lunged towards each other, exchanging blows so fast Sasori could barely keep up. He blinked in astonishment at their movements, surprised that these young males had so much strength.

Sasori then tugged at Deidara's shirt, awakening him from his spellbound daze on the two rapid moving ninja. Deidara gave Sasori a warm smile. Sasori smiled back and then embraced the blonde in a tight bone crushing hug. Deidara seemed somewhat shocked by his sudden embrace.

Sasori whispered in his ear, "I forgive you and I'm sorry. I don't ever want us to be apart again. I missed you."

Deidara broke free of the hug to stare longingly into Sasori's hazel eyes, "I missed you too Danna." Slow tears trickled down his cheeks. Sasori was hoping not to get too sappy, he tried to hold back the brimming tears from pouring out.

Chiyo was watching the too with a soft expression. Sasori felt his face flush from embarrassment, he had hoped to have a more private conversation with his partner. He reached his arm out to grab Deidara's hand. He squeezed it and continued watching the ninja battle before them.

"Itachi lived in the shadows, keeping the village hidden in the leaves safe. He protected us all by preventing a civil war amongst the Uchiha and the other clans." Naruto said, avoiding and ducking Sasuke's hits. The puzzle in Sasori's head became clearer as more pieces filled the gaps. He listened intently to their conversation.

"I know that now! Enough!" Sasuke cried in a rage. Naruto was finally clocked in the mouth, but his figure puffed up in a cloud of smoke. A shadow clone. The real Naruto jumped out from behind Sasuke, with a fast spinning blue sphere rotating in the palm of his hand.

"You didn't know those things when you killed him. Just like you, the rest of the shinobi thought he was a rogue ninja, he was marked as a top rate criminal. You were doing your duty as a shinobi to kill him and enact your revenge. There was no way you could have known Itachi's true intentions. Itachi knew he would die by your hands, and he accepted that." Naruto said, still holding the blue mass of chakra.

"Why are you explaining all this?!" Sasuke snarled. "Just because he knew I would kill him doesn't make my actions right." His eyes narrowed as he stared at the spinning blue energy in Naruto's hand. "Chidori!" he barked. A ball of crackling lightning erupted in his palm.

The two ran forward, their arms outstretched, ready to strike with their powers. "I want you to get it through your thick skull Sasuke! You don't need to punish yourself for what you did! You made a mistake and you are forgiven!" Their fists collided, and a burst of energy and a blinding light pulsed through the clearing.

Sasori was knocked down to the ground by Deidara as they took shelter. His face hit the raw earth, scraping his cheek. Chiyo also dropped down next to them, placing a protective hand over her grandson's head. A loud thud surrounded them and the blinding light finally faded. Sasori lifted up his head and peered over his shoulder.

Sasuke and Naruto were hunched over, looking beat up and completely exhausted. They could barely stand up. Naruto had his hand clasped on Sasuke's shoulder, and Sasuke was holding his bloody left arm in his right. They were panting heavily and staring straight into each other's eyes. Naruto's blue eyes were pleading and tender, but Sasuke's were cold stones.

"Why- why won't you leave me alone? Why do you care how I feel about Itachi's death?" Sasuke asked through heavy exhalations.

"Because Sasuke, I care for you. I'm your friend. I'm more than your friend," Naruto closed his eyes and the shadow of a loving smile curved on his lips, "You won't ever have to suffer again or be alone. You and I can be a family Sasuke." Naruto explained with a warm, sunshine smile. Sasori, Deidara and Chiyo watched silently from their hidden place, captivated by the scene.

"I did a terrible thing Naruto, things can't be the way they were. Itachi was a silent hero, he never even intended for me to find out the truth about him. And now, I can't bear it," Sasuke said. His voice had softened considerably. Perhaps Naruto's words were finally reaching through to the raven-haired male.

"Being alone is not the answer Sasuke. You don't need to isolate yourself from the shinobi…or from me. I understand why you burned down the forest. You were angry, you didn't know what to do. You became a rogue and left, unsure of how to handle the truth. You don't need to run anymore, come home Sasuke. You'll be welcomed home," Naruto reached his other hand out, trying to grasp Sasuke's.

Sasuke stood up straight, shirking Naruto's hand off his shoulder, "The world doesn't know about Itachi…I have to live with the pain of his life and the pain of knowing that I prematurely ended that life." Tears were streaming down the Uchiha's cheeks. His resolve had broken completely.

"You don't have to do it alone," Naruto reminded him. He stepped closer and gingerly brushed Sasuke's tears away with his thumb. Sasuke did not recoil from Naruto's touch. It had been so long since Sasuke had received any affection. "I'll be here by your side, every step of the way."

Sasuke couldn't hold it in any longer. The stern façade that Sasuke wore finally broke down, and what was left was the hollow sad eyes of the internally wounded Uchiha. Sasuke lifted up his dark, tear stained eyes to look into Naruto's bright blue ones. Then his face leaned in and bridged the gap between his and Naruto's lips. Sasuke kissed Naruto forcefully with passion. A bright pink blush covered Naruto's face, his eyes lit up with surprise. But after his initial shock he pushed into the kiss and wrapped his arms around Sasuke, pulling him into a tight embrace.

Sasori did a double take from the kissing ninja to Deidara. Deidara was looking at them in pure shock as well. "Wow," he muttered, "I never knew…but it explains a lot hm."

Naruto and Sasuke pulled away, Naruto's hand softly caressing Sasuke's face. "I'll come home then, stupid," Sasuke sighed. Naruto grinned widely, displaying a row of white teeth. The whiskers on his cheeks creased slightly with dimples.

Naruto held Sasuke's hand in his and walked Sasuke over to the three ninja watching them. Sasori and Deidara straightened up as the hokage ambled over to them.

"Deidara, thank you for your assistance," Naruto said somewhat abashedly, "without you, I wouldn't have been able to find him yah know." His eyes smiled brightly at Deidara.

"Of course hokage, I never realized you were looking for your lover. I thought it was merely a mission to find the rogue ninja hm," Deidara admitted.

"Haha yeah, it was my duty as hokage to find the rogue, but as Sasuke's friend I had another reason for finding him. I'm glad you were able to track him down Deidara. Now you can finally come home and resume your missions with the akatsuki," Naruto stated. Sasuke looked sheepishly at Deidara, still feeling too proud to apologize for everything. He squeezed Naruto's hand, silently pleading him to end this conversation.

Sasori felt his stomach clench uneasily at the hokage's words. He didn't want Deidara to leave him…

"I'd like to speak with Deidara about that," a voice echoed from behind them. Sasori, Deidara and Chiyo whirled around and saw a tall man with bright orange hair standing there.

"Yahiko! I almost forgot about our conversation about that yah know!" Naruto said, slapping a hand up to his forehead. He was really quite goofy, Sasori deduced. Sasuke rolled his eyes at his lover and muttered something unintelligible under his breath.

Yahiko, the leader of the akatsuki smirked. "When did you show up?" Deidara asked him.

"A few moments ago, I headed over as soon as I heard the news that you tracked down Sasuke, Naruto alerted me." Yahiko admitted.

"So what do you want to talk to me about hm?" Deidara wondered.

"I'd like to speak about the proposal you talked about with Konan." Yahiko stated.

Deidara turned his eyes on Sasori and squeezed his hand, "That's right. What's your decision?" Sasori had no idea what they were talking about. He cocked his head to the side in his confusion.

"We've decided to allow it," Yahiko said. Deidara whooped and jumped up and down, alarming Sasori.

Sasori watched the bouncy blonde leap up and down in excitement. "What's going on?" Sasori asked, growing impatient.

Deidara grabbed Sasori's hands and spun him around in a circle, "I don't have to leave you Danna! You and I can stay together forever hm!" he stopped the spinning and looked upon Sasori with a flushed face, "I mean, if you want to stay with me that is…" his voice cracked slightly and trailed off in a whisper.

Sasori still wasn't sure what this 'proposal' was, but a bubble of hope burst forth within him at the thought of staying with Deidara forever. "Of course," Sasori replied. "Now, what exactly is this offer?"

...

 **Author's Note:** I hope you guys enjoyed the not-so-subtle SasuNaru! Writing about ninja fights is not particularly easy, so I sort of left that part in the background while Sasori and Deidara made up- hope that's okay! Anyways, we're getting close to the end here. Reviews welcome! I love hearing from my readers, it seriously makes my day! Thanks guys!


	15. Chapter 15: Home

"You really want me to be a member of the akatsuki?" Sasori asked again in disbelief. Deidara nodded enthusiastically, beaming at him.

"Yes, Deidara has been looking for the perfect partner for himself within the organization. I know you've only just started your training, but according to him you are a quick learner. He'll continue to train you until you are ready to go on missions." Yahiko explained once more.

"And we can stay here? At the art shop?" Sasori was stunned by the decision.

"As I said before, those in the shinobi country are not the only ones in this world who need the help of the ninja. The world may have banished us to a remote corner, but they still need our help. There are a select few ninja who travel the earth in secret, protecting those in need. It's a job suitable for Deidara, a man who never found solace being in one place. Deidara never had a real home, he was always looking to move on elsewhere. Think of the art shop as your home base…and we'll send you out on missions. Many will be in the shinobi country but plenty of them may be elsewhere, around the world," Yahiko stated.

Sasori took in the information, soaking it up slowly like a sponge. He turned to Deidara again, "This is what you asked Konan for? All those weeks ago?"

A bright pink blush scattered across Deidara's cheeks, "Yeah Danna…I know we had just started getting to know each other at the time, but I already knew…"

"Knew what?" Sasori asked, begging Deidara to continue.

"That being with you meant being home," Deidara said, smiling sweetly. Sasori jolted as he remembered Deidara's words from many weeks ago, _'home is where you've found someone that loves you, someone that wants to be with you all the time.'_ Sasori never realized that Deidara had felt that way about him.

"His request was a little unorthodox…but he has proved himself worthy and suitable for the job. I trust his judgment about you too Sasori," Yahiko added with a toothy grin. He was a surprisingly nice guy, with an aura of immense power.

"So what do you say hm?" Deidara asked, looking upon Sasori with big, imploring eyes.

Sasori closed his eyes and smirked, thinking of the amazing offer. Not only would he get to be with Deidara forever as powerful shinobi who bring peace to people around the world, but he could also continue teaching art and manning the shop. It was perfect. "I say yes," Sasori said. Deidara nearly jumped out of his skin with excitement.

Deidara swooped up Sasori in his arms and cried out loud. "Hey put me down!" Sasori demanded, feeling embarrassed in front of the hokage and the leader of the akatsuki. Naruto and Yahiko laughed at them wholeheartedly, and Sasuke looked on them with disgust, rolling his eyes at their display of joy.

…..

Deidara nestled his head against Sasori's shoulder several hours later on their couch. It was just the two of them now. Sasori never realized Deidara would have to write up a detailed report of his mission to give to Yahiko and Naruto. There was more to being a ninja than he had originally thought. But, he would have time later to grasp all the logistics.

For now, Sasori was the happiest man on the Earth with Deidara snuggled up next to him. He gently lifted Deidara's chin up, so that Deidara's blue eyes locked with his. "I love you," Sasori told him, feeling his heart warm from the heat of Deidara's glowing smile.

"I know Danna," Deidara replied, hugging him closer.

"You know?"

"Yeah. I can see it. In your eyes."

"That's the eyepiece my parents implanted when I was a child," Sasori said, unblinking.

Deidara chuckled and kissed Sasori's nose, "no silly. I can see your love for me in your hazel eyes, and in the way you look at me. I knew it when you looked at me after I confessed my love to you today. The look you gave me was more than apologetic, I could see that you cared for me hm." His fingers were tracing circles on Sasori's chest, sending sweet sensations across Sasori's skin.

"Huh, is that so?" Sasori asked with a sly smirk. He grabbed Deidara's hand roughly in his own and then pushed his lips against Deidara's. He grasped Deidara's honey blonde hair in his other hand, pulling Deidara's head back to deepen their kiss. Their mouths opened, allowing their tongues to dance together in a passionate fight for control.

They made love on the couch, feeling a rush of excitement flow through their veins. They had abstained from each other's touch for only a few days, but the effect had left them starved for each other. As Sasori thrust into his lover, moaning deep within his throat, he felt a familiar sensation of closeness, of being home. He had missed this. He had missed Deidara's sexy, impish smirks. He had missed the way Deidara's lips curled and his cheeks blushed when he hit his special spot. He had missed the way Deidara screamed loudly with ecstasy and arched his back when he hit his orgasm.

Sasori panted heavily and collapsed onto Deidara's naked, sticky body. Deidara brushed red hair away from Sasori's eyes, and chuckled. "I've been needing that Danna," he admitted, sighing in relief.

"Yeah, let's never part again," Sasori agreed.

Deidara rolled his eyes at him playfully, "If you weren't so stubborn…we wouldn't have been apart for those days."

Sasori narrowed his eyes, "If you hadn't lied…" his voice faltered, he dare not get in an argument after they had just made up.

But Deidara merely laughed at his comment, throwing his head back. "Oh Danna. You really are stubborn. And you hold grudges like no one else I know. Lying to you is a mistake I'll never make again." He poked Sasori's pink cheek playfully. Sasori swatted his hand away, slightly irritated by Deidara's carefree demeanor. But, he couldn't help but smile at the blonde. That cheery, lighthearted attitude had drawn Sasori in, after all. He had fallen madly in love with the blithe, sexy blonde shinobi. As long as he was by Deidara's side, Sasori was home.

End

...

 **Author's Note:** I apologize that this last chapter is short, but I wanted to end things on a good note. Please review! I hope you guys liked it. I really enjoy writing SasoDei, so if anyone has any interesting prompts/suggestions, I would love to hear them!


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